It is now an annual tradition (i.e., this is the second year!) that I take note of how my trees and shrubs are doing. This post addresses shrubs. Trees are described in a previous post.
The measurements and photos were recorded on January 2, 2025. For the older plants, I’ve included photos from a year ago (newest first). In the case of some of these shrubs, measurements will eventually become irrelevant since I expect to be pruning them to fit my space. However, that time hasn’t come yet, and for now the dimensions serve as an indicator of growth and health.
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) — planted 2023
American Beautyberry plants prefer shady spots. I thought that the bed behind the house would provide enough shade, but failed to account for how challenging the intense afternoon sun can be (the bed faces west). I also now know that this plant needs more water support in times of drought than I was giving it in its first year. I thought that I might lose this plant, but in fact it did grow bigger and stronger in 2024 and there were blooms and berries.
2025: Height 27 in, Width 43 in
2024: Height 15 in, Width 9 in
American Century Plant, variegated (Agave americana) — planted 2024
Agave plants have the potential to grow very big, but mine is small at the moment.
2025: Height 4 in, Width 10 in
Cenizo aka Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) — planted 2023
This plant has grown well since it was planted and is a nice feature shrub in the pollinator garden in front of the house. It’s known for blooming when rain has fallen or is expected, but it barely bloomed at all in its first year. I see flowers more often now, so I think it is better established.
2025: Height 59 in, Width 59 in
2024: Height 36 in, Width 30 in
Chile Pequin (Capsicum annuum) — planted 2024
This is a replacement plant. The first one I planted didn’t survive so I’m trying again in a different location and with more experience myself now. With hindsight, I didn’t support the first plant enough during its first summer when we had a severe drought. This new plant has even grown a pepper in its first year.
2025: Height 14 in, Width 10 in
Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) — planted 2023 & 2024
I now have three of these shrubs, one in front of the house and two behind. One of the two in the back yard is an orange variety (planted in 2024). The red ones did bloom a little in 2024; the orange one is too new for that. The photos and measurements here are for the red variety in the back yard, the biggest of these plants.
2025: Height 16 in, Width 18 in
2024: Height 15 in, Width 9 in
Gregg Salvia (Salvia greggii) — planted 2024
This plant is new here but seems happy. It’s rather leggy, so after the first frost I’m going to cut it back to encourage more bushy growth. There were some blooms this past year.
2025: Height 20 in, Width 36 in
Lindheimer’s Senna (Senna lindheimeriana) — planted 2024
This is a very new plant that arrived here in late fall 2024.
2025: Height 2 in, Width 4 in
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) — planted 2023 & 2024
These plants are technically succulents, and not actually yuccas. The first group that I planted were the more common red variety, and rather to my surprise in the first year there was already one flower spike made (I expected it to take longer to establish). Since being planted, each clump of plants now has several growing points and I’m hopeful for more blooms this year. The second group that I planted, in 2024, was the less common yellow variety. The measurements are for the largest plant clumps of each type, and the photos are of the red variety.
RED (not including flower spike)
2025: Height 20 in, Width 36 in
2024: Height 17 in, Width 30 in
YELLOW
2025: Height 26 in, Width 26 in
Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala) — planted 2023
This plant quietly did well in 2024 and produced a number of pink blooms.
2025: Height 33 in, Width 53 in
2024: Height 13 in, Width 24 in
Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba) — planted 2024
I’ve had a couple of attempts to get this plant established, and I may almost have it right now. There is a new one in the back yard that is in full sun and I think this one will be happy — it has already produced a few blooms. I planted another one in the front pollinator garden, but in a place that now I think will be too shaded. For that one, after the first frost, I’m going to move it a few feet to a location where it should get better light. Photo and measurements are for the back yard plant.
2025: Height 12 in, Width 13 in
Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides) — planted 2023
This plant grew well in 2024, although not really in the shape that I wanted. It has grown more horizontally than vertically and I don’t really have the space for that. So after the first frost I will give it a significant pruning to try to reshape it. This shrub does bloom, although perhaps not as much as I would expect.
2025: Height 20 in, Width 64 in
2024: Height 16 in, Width 44 in
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) — planted 2024
The first Turk’s Cap that I planted here failed to survive my inexperience, a re-transplant because I regretted where I first put it, and a brutally hot and dry first summer. This is a new specimen that was planted in the fall of 2024 and I hope this one will be happier.
2025: Height 14 in, Width 17 in
Twistleaf Yucca, Blue (Yucca rupicola x pallida) — planted 2024
The Twistleaf Yucca was planted in late fall 2024, so I expect it to take a year or two to establish.
2025: Height 9 in, Width 20 in
Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida) — planted 2024
The Zexmenia wasn’t planted until November 2024, so I expect it to take a year or so to get settled.
2025: Height 8 in, Width 16 in
Rewilding My Lot 
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