FAQs
Texas SmartScape™ is a landscape program that promotes the use of plants suited to North Central Texas's soil, climate, and precipitation. The regional goal is to improve water quality by reducing runoff and to conserve local water supplies by selecting ecologically appropriate native or adapted plants that require less water, pesticides, and fertilizers.
The reason that not all Texas Natives are on the list is because the list is targeted for the Dallas/Fort Worth area and some natives have been determined to not grow well in that specific area. Also, a native may have been left off due to water demand, disease resistance, tendency to crowd out other plants in a landscape, or commercial availability.
All plants on the SmartScape plant list have been reviewed by a committee of horticulture and landscape professional experts. If you have a suggestion to include a plant, contact us and we will review the plant for inclusion.
Currently the plant list is made up of plants targeted for the North Central Texas area. There is a smaller sub-set of plants that are listed for West Texas, you can select the region on the plant search page.
Texas SmartScape does not directly offer landscape design or installation services. If you are interested in designing a SmartScape yard yourself, we have resources on our website to help walk you through the process. View our design guide.
If you are looking to hire a company that is familiar with SmartScape concepts, please check out our SmartScape friendly companies page.
Native plant sales are hosted in the spring and fall by many of the organizations located in our region. These organizations include, but are not limited to, Texas Discovery Gardens, the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, local chapters of the Native Plant Society of the Texas, and local chapters of the Master Gardeners Association. Please check the event calendar for a list of current plant sales.
We now have an easy way to upload photos so that more people can contribute to SmartScape. You can browse to a specific plant or gallery and click the contribute button to submit a photo of that plant or your landscape. All photos will be reviewed and verified by SmartScape staff prior to becoming visible on the website.
We can sometimes determine a plant from a photo, but this is very difficult to do and cannot guarantee accuracy. Try using a plant identification tool.
Here are some plant identification tools we like:
Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one year. That is, their roots, stems, and leaves die. Examples are Pansies, Marigolds, Begonias, and Basil. Herbaceous perennials are plants that can live for many years. Usually the top part of the plant dies back but the roots live throughout the winter and produce new growth in the spring. Examples are Greggs Salvia, Lantana, and Red Yucca. Texas SmartScape promotes the use of perennials because they offer variety, diversity, blooming cycles for 7-8 months of the year, as well as foliage that is rich in color, texture, and shape. They also make economic sense in that they do not have to be replanted every year like annuals.
We love going out to public events and talking about the benefits of Native plants! Simply fill out our contact form and we will find someone to present to your group.
We regularly participate in Earth Day events, Boy Scout/Girl Scout events, school science classes, and other community events.