One way to choose plants your HOA will approve of is to consider the same specimens used in the common areas of your neighborhood. Even simpler: go with our four types of plants that please.
We hear time and again from customers who want to make changes to their landscape, but they believe their HOA won’t allow it. While most homeowner’s associations have restrictions, as a rule they just want to maintain the appeal of the neighborhood that drew you in when you purchased your home.
If you live in a neighborhood with a HOA it is important to understand what the restrictions are when planning changes to your landscape. Be prepared to show a landscape plan, in many cases the landscape bed designs available on Garden Style San Antonio are acceptable. You should also be familiar with Senate Bill 198 (pdf) which prevents homeowners associations from prohibiting the use of drought-hardy plants in landscaping.
One way to choose plants your HOA is likely to be comfortable with is to look around at the plants used in the common areas of your neighborhood and other neighborhoods near you, as well as what other homeowners who have updated their landscape have used.
To help you get started here is a list of plants commonly seen in many San Antonio neighborhoods.
- Plumbago – This colorful small shrub can be seen in older and newer neighborhoods alike. It’s heat-loving and maintains its blue or white blooms summer through fall.
- Muhly – This ornamental grass is seen in many common areas and home landscapes in San Antonio neighborhoods, particularly in some of the newer neighborhoods where thin soils are prevalent. The billowy foliage adds playfulness to your landscape and although there are three varieties that work well in our area, the gulf muhly is my personal favorite with its beautiful pinkish-purple plumes.
- Rosemary – Rosemary is another perennial that seems to be at home in a variety of neighborhoods in and around San Antonio. Both the upright and trailing rosemary boast light lavender-blue flowers and can endure our hot dry summers with very little supplemental water after established.
- Yuccas and sotols — There are several varieties to choose from and all will add architectural interest to your landscape. Red yucca is a particular favorite in our area because of the bright pink to red flowers that attract hummingbirds.
For more plant ideas, peruse our plant database. And be sure to keep an eye out for the WaterSaver Landscape and Patioscape coupons coming in Spring 2016 to help offset some of the cost of your new landscape.
