• Texas' various geographical areas promote diverse shrubs and plants.DC Productions/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  The state of Texas is the second-largest state in the union, spanning more than 268,000 square miles. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department divides the state into nine ecological regions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, however, divides the state into 12 level III ecoregions and 56 level IV ecoregions, which illustrates its great biodiversity. The shrubs and other plant life that inhabit the state are as diverse as the regions in which they grow.
  
  

Xocatatl

• Malpighia glabra goes by many names: Mexican myrtle, Barbados cherry and xocatatl. It is native to Cameron and Hidalgo Counties in the southernmost portion of the state, as well as Central and South America. In South Texas, this perennial is a common, woody shrub used as groundcover. Its glossy red berries are edible, and its small pink flowers are fragrant. The xocatatl shrub's bark has medicinal qualities as an astringent and fever reducer. It reaches a height of between 2 to 9 feet and prefers alkaline soils. White tail deer, birds, raccoons and coyotes feed on the plant's leaves and fruits.
  
  

White Prairie Rose

• Rosa foliolosa, also known as leafy rose, grows in thickets and along railroad tracks in Central and North Central Texas. It is a dwarf plant and has no thorns. It is rhizomatous and bears white blossoms that may have a pink tint. It grows from 6 inches up to 1 foot tall and requires neutral, alkaline soil to thrive. The fruits it bears are called hips, and these rose hips are high in vitamin C, with a concentration of the nutrient higher than that of lemons.
  
  

Red Honeysuckle

• Lonicera sempervirens is native to East Texas along stream banks, woods and thickets. It is widespread, growing from Connecticut to Florida, and west to Nebraska. It is a twining evergreen vine with dark, shiny leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers. The flowers are red on the outside and orange on the inside and may have a yellow tinge. The plant performs well on fences, trellises or anywhere it can climb. Its fragrant flowers bloom in January and periodically throughout the growing season, attracting hummingbirds. It has a high heat tolerance and is adaptable to many soils. It can grow up to 18 feet high and thrives in partial sun. Red honeysuckle bears red berries between September and October, and the bark fades to a gray color as it ages. The plant is also called red woodbine, coral honeysuckle and scarlet trumpet.
  
  

Pencil Cholla

• Opuntia leptocaulis grows in South and West Texas at elevations between 1,000 and 5,000 feet. It also grows in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona, preferring the heavy soils of desert flats. Pencil cholla is the most common of all chollas and grows well in desert bottomlands along fence rows and under trees with plentiful bird droppings. The cactus is bushy and thicket-like, reaching 2 to 6 feet high, with a main trunk that measures 1/2 inch to 4 inches in diameter. Pencil cholla is a slender cactus, and in late fall it bears a red, succulent fruit at the tips of its stems. It often grows short, inconspicuous barbs but occasionally grows without them. The plant provides a nesting site for desert wrens, and its fruit provides food for white tail deer, bobwhite quail and wild turkey.
  
  

Wild Sarsaparilla

• Ampelopsis arborea grows in a variety of areas throughout the state. From East Texas to the Edwards Plateau, it thrives in floodplain forests, roadsides and abandoned fields where water is plentiful. The leaves are shiny, bi- or tri-pinnate and a reddish color when new. They are high-growing vines and can reach heights of up to 25 feet. Wild sarsaparilla, or pepper vine, is deciduous, has a high heat tolerance and bears inconspicuous green flowers in the summertime. In the fall, the plant bears a blue-black edible berry. The vine grows quickly and may need to be trimmed back to keep it from growing out of control during its first season. In some areas, wild sarsaparilla is considered a pest.
  
  

Sand Sage

• Artemisia filifolia is a large shrub that grows up to 6 feet high with a width of up to 5 feet. This evergreen grows prolifically in the western portion of the state, taking root in the deep sand dunes of West Texas. It does not tolerate heavy soils or shades and is sometimes used in landscaping projects. It has a high tolerance for heat, and drought produces small fruit called achenes. The silver shrub has aromatic foliage, and its small yellow flowers bloom during the spring and fall.