Plants That Thrive in South Louisiana Yards

A starting list of trees, shrubs, and perennials that handle our heat, humidity, clay soil, and occasional hard freeze.

The plants that do best here tolerate three things at once: heat and humidity all summer, saturated clay after a storm, and a short but real freeze most winters.

Trees

• Live oak — the signature tree of the region where there is room for it.
• Bald cypress — handles wet feet better than almost anything.
• Crape myrtle — long summer bloom; prune lightly, never top it.

Shrubs

• Dwarf yaupon holly — tough, evergreen, and takes shearing.
• Loropetalum — deep foliage color and reliable in our heat.
• Sweet viburnum — a fast, dense evergreen screen.

Perennials and grasses

• Muhly grass — bulletproof, with pink plumes in fall.
• Louisiana iris — thrives in the wet spots most plants hate.
• Lantana and salvia — heat-proof color that pollinators use all summer.

Site conditions vary block to block here. Before committing to a plan, it is worth having someone look at your soil, your sun, and where your water goes.