Native Plants
Bring Back the Monarchs
In Spring 2025, we were honored to receive a Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas garden grant from the Native Plant Society of Texas. This grant helped us install a native plant garden that provides habitat for monarch butterflies and other vital pollinators.
Full of perennials, this garden will support pollinators for years to come and serves as a space for community members to learn about native plants and be inspired. We’re excited to share our progress as we help safeguard the monarch migration for future generations and welcome you to visit the garden.
This revitalized space not only supports the Monarch migration but also demonstrates the beauty and resilience of native Texas landscapes.
Planning and Installation
During our planning process, we identified three areas of the garden where we could incorporate native plants. The first was the front corner of our garden which was overgrown with grass and struggling to support any edible crops. The second and third were along the walkway where we had a mix of herbs and flowers but plenty of gaps for native plants.
In addition to plants purchased through the grant, several members contributed plants from their home gardens or grew plants for the garden. We used the native plant databases listed below in the resources section to identify plants appropriate for our area. We also paid attention to plant size once fully grown, leaf shape, and flower color and bloom time.
If you’re interested in incorporating more native plants into your garden, supporting pollinators, or just selecting beautiful plants that will thrive in Austin, TX these are some of our favorite resources.
Plant Databases and Planning:
NPSOT Plant Lists by Ecoregion
Start a Native Plant Garden Guide
LBJ Wildflower Center Native Plant Database
Where to get plants:
Local plant sales are hosted by the Wildflower center and NPSOT every year.
You can often get native plant seeds at your local library.
