Rewilding My Lot

It is now an annual tradition that I take note of how my trees and shrubs are doing. This post addresses shrubs, and when I have multiple copies I refer to the one growing most vigorously. Trees are described in a previous post.

The measurements were recorded on January 30, 2026. Some of these measurements will become irrelevant if I prune shrubs to fit my space. However, while they are young and uncut, the dimensions serve as an indicator of growth and health.

For the past two years I have taken photos of shrubs only in January for this record. However, for many of these plants, that does not show them at their most colorful time. So instead I’m going to switch to including photos of my shrubs when they are more actively growing. I’ll note when photos were taken.

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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). After a slow start, 2025 was the first year for this plant to bloom well and produce the striking berries for which it’s named.
2026: Height 42 in, Width 64 in
2025: Height 27 in, Width 43 in
2024: Height 15 in, Width 9 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 July, (2) 2025 January, (3) 2024 January

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Barbados Cherry, dwarf (Malpighia glabra) — planted 2023

This dwarf tree had a good growth year in 2025, with several rounds of blooming.
2026: Height 30 in, Width 42 in
2025: Height 27 in, Width 34 in
2024: Height 10 in, Width 25 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 September, (2) 2025 January, (3) 2024 January

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Cenizo aka Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) — planted 2023

This plant has grown well since it was planted and is a nice feature shrub in front of the house. Cenizos are known for blooming when rain has fallen or is expected, but mine barely bloomed at all in its first couple of years. I see flowers more often now (see the first photo in this post), so I think it is better established.
2026: Height 6.5 ft, Width 5.5 ft
2025: Height 5 ft, Width 5 ft
2024: Height 36 in, Width 30 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 November, (2) 2025 January, (3) 2024 January

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Chile Pequin (Capsicum annuum) — planted 2024 & 2025

I have two plants here. The older one was planted in 2024 facing west; the newer one was planted in 2025 in a more shaded location facing north. The one in shade is definitely happier and that is the one referenced here.
2026: Height 14 in, Width 17 in
Photos taken (1) 2026 January

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Fall Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) — planted 2023

This plant grew and spread so well in its first year that early in 2025 I significantly cut it back. I didn’t realize that Fall Aster was considered a shrub until recently, so I only have size data for one year.
2026: Height 19 in, Width 38 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 May, (2) 2025 January, (3) 2024 February

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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 biggest of these plants is the red Flame Acanthus in the back yard, and that is the one referenced here.
2026: Height 33 in, Width 35 in
2025: Height 16 in, Width 18 in
2024: Height 15 in, Width 9 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 November, (2) 2025 January, (3) 2024 January

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Gregg Salvia (Salvia greggii) — planted 2024

After this plant’s first year here it was rather leggy so I cut it back significantly in spring 2025. I don’t think it grew well after that — certainly I don’t seem to have any photographs of it. Also, at the time of this report, I can’t definitely identify the Gregg Salvia among its other freeze-impacted neighbors so I have no size data.
2026: [measurements not available — I can’t find the plant!]
2025: Height 20 in, Width 36 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 January, (2) 2024 June

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Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia texana) — planted 2025

This is new, planted in fall 2025, and I don’t have any photos of it.
2026: Height 25 in, Width 12 in

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Lindheimer’s Senna (Senna lindheimeriana) — planted 2024

This plant arrived here in late fall 2024. It grew a lot in 2025 and bloomed for the first time.
2026: Height 41 in, Width 22 in
2025: Height 2 in, Width 4 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 August, (2) 2025 January

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Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) — planted 2025

This is new, planted in fall 2025, and I don’t have any photos of it. Pride of Barbados is not native to the area, but I include it for the pollinator support it provides.
2026: Height 9 in, Width 9 in

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Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala) — planted 2023

This plant for much of the year is hidden by its taller Standing Cypress neighbors, but it’s quietly doing very well. I am already seeing new seedlings that it has generated nearby. I pruned it last year because it was sprawling into a pathway.
2026: Height 26 in, Width 42 in
2025: Height 33 in, Width 53 in
2024: Height 13 in, Width 24 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 November, (2) 2025 January, (3) 2024 January

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Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba) — planted 2024

I have two of this plant — one in front of the house and one behind. Photos and measurements are for the back yard plant.
2026: Height 27 in, Width 33 in
2025: Height 12 in, Width 13 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 December, (2) 2025 January

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Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides) — planted 2023

I wish that this plant would grow taller. It tends to spread too much for the space I’ve allocated for it and so each spring I prune back the horizontal branches in an attempt to reshape it.
2026: Height 16 in, Width 39 in
2025: Height 20 in, Width 64 in
2024: Height 16 in, Width 44 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 April, (2) 2025 January, (3) 2024 January

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Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) — planted 2024

This Turk’s Cap is in a west-facing bed. I expect that it would prefer more shade, but this is a plant that supposedly grows in a variety of light conditions and I think it will be fine. It might not grow as big as in the shade, but given my space limitations that may not be a bad thing. In my previous Houston garden that was shaded I had a Turk’s Cap that was huge — if I cut it down to the ground in the spring, it would still grow to be 10 feet tall and wide a few months later!
2026: Height 25 in, Width 19 in
2025: Height 14 in, Width 17 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 July, (2) 2025 January

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White Mistflower aka Shrubby Boneset (Ageratina havanensis) — planted 2025

It’s too early to know yet whether this plant will bloom in the fall only, or also in the spring and summer. I planted it in spring of last year, hoping that there would be blooms in the fall and there were. So although it’s small it seems to be settling well.
2026: Height 14 in, Width 14 in
Photos taken (1) 2025 November