Shrub · North Texas care guide
Leucophyllum frutescens
Nursery Pro tip: Silver leaves, purple blooms after every rain. Never water it in clay — it'll thank you.
Silver-gray foliage all year and clouds of lavender-purple flowers that burst out a day or two after a summer rain or humidity spike — hence 'barometer bush'. A West Texas native that is genuinely happy in the hottest, driest, most neglected spot you have. 4–6 ft; compact varieties like 'Compacta' and 'Green Cloud' are common.
Full sun and sharp drainage — this is the plant for the bed by the driveway that bakes. Alkaline soil is what it wants. It will die in irrigated, shaded, or heavy-mulched beds, so keep it out of the lawn zone.
Spring or early fall. Plant it high — set the ball 2 inches above grade and mound native soil with expanded shale against it. Gravel mulch beats bark mulch. Root Stimulator at planting, then leave it alone.
Water weekly until it's rooted (about six weeks), then almost never. A deep soak once a month in a bad drought is all it wants.
None. Fertilizer makes it leggy and shortens its life.
Late winter, lightly, to keep it dense — or cut back hard every few years to renew it. Don't shear it into a meatball; it flowers on new wood all over the plant.
Root rot from overwatering and sprinkler spray — the one and only killer. Cotton root rot in poorly drained clay.
Xeriscape beds with yucca, agave, blackfoot daisy, autumn sage, Gulf muhly and desert willow.
Written for Rockwall's black clay, heat and winters by the Landscape Source team. Every yard is different — bring a photo by, or ask LS-Ai, and we'll tailor it to your spot.