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Dripping Springs native plant landscape with crushed granite, river rock, and Hill Country natives around a live oak
5.0

Native Plant Installation in Austin, TX

Thrive Landscape and Design installs Texas Hill Country natives across the greater Austin area — live oak, Mexican white oak, cenizo, salvia greggii, blackfoot daisy, gulf muhly, and dozens of other 8b/9a species that thrive in caliche and clay, shrug off Stage 3 watering rules, and feed monarchs, Gulf fritillaries, and native bees.

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Native plant installation is the highest-return upgrade most Austin yards can make. Texas Hill Country natives evolved on this caliche, this clay, and this heat, so they root in faster, drink less, and outlast the big-box ornamentals that get replaced every two summers. We design bed by bed using Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant data and NPSOT (Native Plant Society of Texas) species lists, then install with crews that have planted across Lakeway, Westlake, Dripping Springs, Driftwood, and the rest of the greater Austin area for over 20 years. The result is a landscape that survives Stage 3 watering restrictions, holds up to deer browsing, and brings in monarchs, Gulf fritillaries, and bumble bees from the first bloom season.

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  • 500+ Projects Completed
  • 19+ Years Experience
  • 5/5 Average Rating
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Our Process

  1. Site assessment of a Dripping Springs yard before a native plant install

    Site Assessment

    We walk your yard with you and read the site — sun exposure, slope, drainage, existing canopy, soil type (blackland clay east of MoPac, caliche and limestone in west Austin), deer pressure, and any HOA constraints. Site notes shape every plant choice that follows.

  2. Native Species Selection

    We build a plant list from Texas natives and well-adapted species that match your site. Structure trees like live oak, Mexican white oak, and Texas red oak. Evergreen anchors like yaupon holly, cenizo, and Texas mountain laurel. Pollinator perennials like salvia greggii, flame acanthus, blackfoot daisy, and Engelmann daisy. Grasses like gulf muhly, Lindheimer muhly, and Mexican feathergrass.

    Native species selection with palo verde and gravel planter bed at Smithville-Ranch
  3. Bed preparation and tree planting for a native install in Dripping Springs

    Bed Prep

    Caliche pockets get broken out and back-filled with the right mix; clay beds get amended for drainage; edges are cut clean; drip irrigation is laid out by hydrozone before mulch goes down. Good bed prep is the single biggest factor in first-year survival, especially for Hill Country lots.

  4. Plant & Establish

    Plants go in at proper density and depth, mulch goes down at three inches, and the drip is dialed in for the establishment window. We hand off a written care card with seasonal watering, light pruning notes, and what to expect from each species through the first year. After that, your beds run on rainfall plus one watering day a week.

    Established native bed with red yucca and ornamental grasses at Smithville-Ranch
Dripping Springs home with native plant landscape and river rock around mature oaks
Native Texas plant bed with yucca along an iron fence at Smithville-Ranch
Is It Time?

Signs You Should Go Native

A Texas-Native Landscape Just Makes Sense When…

Most Austin yards we walk are watering twice as much as they need to, replacing the same shrubs every two summers, and still losing the front bed to deer. Native plant installation fixes all three problems at once. Look for these signs:

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  • Native beds run on one watering day a week once established and stay alive through Stage 3 restrictions. Less irrigation, lower bill, same curb appeal.

  • Lakeway, Westlake, Lost Creek, and Dripping Springs all see heavy browsing. Cenizo, salvia greggii, agarita, and yaupon holly hold up where azaleas and hostas don’t.

  • Monarchs, Gulf fritillaries, and native bees feed on natives the way songbirds feed on native seeds. A native bed turns your yard into real habitat, not decoration.

Mature Texas native landscape with river rock and ornamental grasses in Dripping Springs
Native plant bed with red yucca and ornamental grasses by an iron gate

Why Choose Thrive Landscape and Design?

  • Habitat-First Design

    We layer flower, seed, and shelter so your yard feeds monarchs, Gulf fritillaries, bumble bees, and songbirds across all four seasons.

  • No-Spray Friendly

    Healthy native beds don’t need broad-spectrum sprays. We design for plant health and pollinator safety, not chemical maintenance.

  • Deer-Resilient Species

    For Lakeway, Westlake, Bee Cave, and Dripping Springs, we lead with cenizo, salvia greggii, agarita, Texas mountain laurel, and Lindheimer muhly — species deer routinely pass over.

  • Established Roots In Texas Natives

    Over 20 years installing across the greater Austin area. We work from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant data and NPSOT recommendations, not big-box plant tags.

Our Service Areas

Native Plant Installation Across The Austin Area

From caliche-heavy west Austin lots to clay-bottom east-side yards, we install Texas natives across the greater Austin area — from one bed refresh to a full property conversion.

  • Lakeway
  • Westlake Hills
  • Dripping Springs
  • Driftwood
  • Bee Cave
  • Round Rock
  • Cedar Park
  • Steiner Ranch
  • Lost Creek
  • Spicewood
  • Pflugerville
  • & more
Our Portfolio

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Native installs across Lost Creek, Westlake, Cedar Park, Driftwood, La Grange, and Bastrop — live oak structure, cenizo and salvia greggii bones, muhly grass drifts, and pollinator beds that pull in monarchs and Gulf fritillaries from the first bloom.

FAQ

Native Plant Questions, Answered

  • A Texas native is a plant that occurred naturally in Texas before European settlement and has evolved with our soils, rainfall, and wildlife. For Austin, we focus on Central Texas and Edwards Plateau natives like live oak, Texas red oak, cenizo (Texas sage), salvia greggii, blackfoot daisy, gulf muhly, Lindheimer muhly, and Texas mountain laurel. We use the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant database as the authoritative source for native status.

  • Yes, once established. The trick is design, not species. We plant in drifts and layers, mix evergreen structure (yaupon holly, agarita, cenizo) with seasonal color (salvia greggii, autumn sage, blackfoot daisy, Texas lantana) and soft grasses (gulf muhly, Mexican feathergrass), and we plant at proper density. A well-designed native bed reads as full and intentional, not sparse.

  • Deer-resistant, not deer-proof. In high-pressure areas like Lakeway, Westlake, and Dripping Springs we lean on species deer routinely walk past: cenizo, salvia greggii, agarita, yaupon holly, Texas mountain laurel, Lindheimer muhly, and four-nerve daisy. Hungry deer will sample almost anything new, so we plan tender plants behind fences or in raised courtyard beds during the first season.

  • Yes. We have done all-native installs across the Austin area, often for clients pursuing NPSOT (Native Plant Society of Texas) recognition or a habitat-focused yard. We can also blend natives with well-adapted non-natives like rosemary or trailing lantana if that fits your goals. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center recommends 70 percent natives as a strong threshold for ecological value.

  • After the first full growing season, most native beds hold up on one watering day per week, which means they survive Stage 2 and Stage 3 watering restrictions. During the establishment window (roughly the first 6 to 12 months), expect deeper, more frequent watering on a drip zone so roots reach down into the caliche or clay. After that, you are watering to keep things looking lush, not to keep them alive.

  • Whenever possible, yes. We source from Central Texas growers that specialize in natives so plants are already acclimated to our heat, soil, and water. Local-ecotype material roots in faster and has a higher first-year survival rate than big-box stock trucked in from out of state. We will name the grower on your plant list.

  • Yes, that is most of the point. Salvia greggii, flame acanthus, Texas lantana, frostweed, autumn sage, and fall obedient plant pull in monarchs, Gulf fritillaries, bumble bees, and native solitary bees. These are docile pollinators focused on flowers, not people. If anyone in the household has bee allergies, we can place high-nectar plants away from doors, patios, and play areas.

  • Call (512) 503-1935 or fill out the contact form on this site. We will schedule a free on-site walk-through, look at sun, soil, deer pressure, and how you want to use the yard, and follow up with a written scope, a plant list, and a clear price for the install.

Let’s Plant Texas Natives In Your Yard

Veteran-owned, 5.0-rated, and based right here in Austin. Tell us about your property and we’ll walk it with you, free of charge, and put together a native plant list built for your soil, your sun, and your deer pressure.

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