NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – For the past three years, the weather in North Texas has been blamed for crime.
First, we had three of the coldest days on record, with temperatures dipping to -2°C in February 2021. Then, in the summer of 2022, one of the hottest and driest years on record awaits us. In December of this year, before all of our plants went fully dormant, we spent two nights in the teens.
Then came this summer, one of the hottest and driest seasons on record.
The impact on the North Texas landscape is well documented. Trees, shrubs and perennials have collapsed in recent years, while others have simply given up.
If last summer dealt the death blow to some of your trees or shrubs, you may want to consider replacing them.
Wax myrtle is a good choice.
You can leave the shrub in its natural shape or give it the shape of a tree. These trees are hardy and grow from the East Coast to Texas. Once established, they are also drought tolerant and bloom beautifully in late spring. Females produce berries that birds love.
There are different types of Texas sage to choose from.
Texas sage is a good stand-alone native plant that gets a little "wild" at 6 feet tall. They have developed denser, fuller versions, including the popular silver leaf variety. The best thing about salvia is that the shrub produces purple flowers when there is heavy rain in the hot summer. Two reasons to welcome summer rain!
Desert Willow is one of my new favorites.
This is primarily due to climate change. Hot and dry summers (more heat and longer dry periods) can be expected in the next few decades.
The desert willow is native to the Western Sahara and withstands heat and drought once it emerges. There are also willow buds. It gives way to the lower landscape at his feet.
The continuity of these three sentences is a common thread. If the weather continues to play tricks on our plants, we might as well start planting hardier plants.
Jeff Ray is a senior meteorologist for CBS News Texas First Alert and an avid gardener. When he's not covering the weather, he's revealing stories about gardening in North Texas. If you would like Jeff to join your team and talk about how climate change is changing the way we garden in this region, please send your application to jaray@viacomcbs.com.
