Mexican Silktassel

Garrya ovata

Hills guide picknative · Hill Country

Mexican Silktassel is a small tree native to the Texas Hill Country that grows 5–11 ft tall and 5–11 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and low water, and handles caliche soil. Blooms green in Mar–May. Evergreen — it holds its leaves through winter. Deer rarely browse it. Good for birds.

Will it grow in your yard?

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From our guide

Village of the Hills

Evergreen shrub with leathery gray-green leaves and drooping catkin tassels in late winter.

Why it works here

Evergreen structure on pure limestone with no water, plus winter interest when nothing else has any.

Watch out

Slow. Wants excellent drainage and resents rich soil or irrigation.

The facts

6 sources

Type: Small tree
Sun: Full sun to part shade (3+ hrs)
Water: Low
Height: 5–11 ft
Spread: 5–11 ft
Bloom: Mar–May · green
Foliage: Evergreen
Soil: Takes caliche · recorded on caliche, dry, limestone, well drained
Deer: High — deer rarely browse it. Leathery bitter foliage; deer ignore it.
Wildlife: Supports birds

Size, sun, water and foliage from the Village of the Hills guide; the rest resolved across sources.

Where it grows

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

Balcones CanyonlandsEdwards Plateau Woodland

13 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

In the Village of the Hills guide, but not on the grower stock lists we read yet. Ask a native-plant nursery.

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.