Curly-mesquite

Hilaria belangeri

native · Hill Countrysold locally

Curly-mesquite is a grass native to the Texas Hill Country that grows 0.5–1 ft tall and 3 ft wide. It wants full sun and low water, and handles caliche and clay soil. Blooms yellow in late spring. Good for birds.

Will it grow in your yard?

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The facts

6 sources

Type: Grass
Sun: Full sun (6–8 hrs of direct sun)
Water: Low
Height: 0.5–1 ft
Spread: 3 ft
Bloom: Late Spring · yellow
Foliage: Deciduous or dies back in winter
Soil: Takes caliche and clay · recorded on caliche, clay, dry, rocky, sand
Deer: Moderate — deer may browse it, especially new growth
Wildlife: Supports birds and browsing mammals

Where it grows

Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:

Balcones CanyonlandsLlano UpliftEdwards Plateau WoodlandLimestone Cut Plain

99 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

Sold at local nurseries. Confirmed in stock at a Central Texas grower in these sizes:

2.5 and 4 inch pots

From the growers we read so far — a short list, not the whole trade. Call ahead.

also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.