How the DFW heat wave has impacted the landscaping plants of North Texas in 2026.

 

 

“LORD, WHATEVER YOU’RE COOKING HERE, I THINK IT’S DONE”

By Matt Cook

That is about the only way I can describe what this summer has felt like in North Texas.

If you have lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for very long, you already know that Texas gets hot.

A hundred degrees in August? That’s Texas.

But this summer has been different.

We have experienced an unusual combination of extreme heat, extremely dry conditions, long stretches without measurable rainfall and intense stress on landscapes, trees and irrigation systems.

And for those of us who make our living designing, installing and maintaining landscapes, this weather is forcing us to ask an important question:

Are we planting for the North Texas climate we actually have?

At Peterson’s Landscape, we believe the answer needs to be yes.

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2026 Has Been An Extraordinary Year for DFW Weather

The numbers tell part of the story.

According to the National Weather Service, DFW’s August 2026 rainfall was only a trace. That puts August 2026 among a very small group of years in the historical record with only a trace of precipitation. The NWS specifically reports that August 2026 became one of only eight years to record just a trace for the entire month of August, while 2000 remains the only year with zero precipitation recorded for August.

DFW August Rainfall History

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DFW Is Running on 22.61 Inches of Rain in 2026

As of September 2, the official DFW climate report showed 22.61 inches of precipitation for the year.

The 1991–2020 annual normal is about 37.01 inches.

That means we’re already more than 14 inches below the annual normal, and we’re entering September with the most important fall growing season still ahead of us.

And there’s another important distinction:

A rainfall total doesn’t tell the whole story.

A landscape doesn’t just need a certain number of inches of rain over a calendar year. It needs water at the right time and in the right amounts.

That’s where this summer has become particularly difficult.

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This Is What a Flash Drought Looks Like

One term that has received more attention in recent years is flash drought.

The National Integrated Drought Information System describes flash drought as the rapid onset or intensification of drought conditions. It can develop when below-normal precipitation combines with unusually high temperatures, wind and radiation, which increases evapotranspiration and rapidly reduces soil moisture.

That’s important for landscaping.

When temperatures climb into the triple digits and rainfall disappears, plants don’t simply stop growing.

They continue losing water.

The soil dries.

Plants transpire.

Water evaporates.

And the irrigation system suddenly becomes responsible for maintaining an environment that Mother Nature normally helps provide.

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100 Degrees Is One Thing. 105, 106 and 107 Is Another.

We expect August to be hot in Texas.

That’s nothing new.

But when temperatures repeatedly push into the 105°, 106° and 107° range, the stress on a landscape becomes significantly different.

The National Weather Service’s DFW climate records show how extreme temperatures can become in North Texas, including multiple historical August records above 105°F.

Plants that normally tolerate summer conditions can suddenly find themselves operating at the edge of their tolerance.

And then we add another problem:

The nights don’t necessarily give them much relief.

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The Urban Heat Island Effect Matters

North Texas continues to grow.

We build more houses.

More shopping centers.

More parking lots.

More roads.

More concrete.

More buildings.

And while development is a normal part of a growing metropolitan area, all that infrastructure changes the environment surrounding our landscapes.

The EPA explains that buildings, roads and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit heat more readily than natural landscapes. Urban areas can therefore experience higher temperatures than surrounding areas, including warmer nighttime temperatures.

That matters to plants.

A plant sitting next to a large concrete driveway or surrounded by masonry, pavement and buildings isn’t necessarily experiencing the same conditions as that same plant growing in an open field.

The landscape has its own microclimate.

And we need to design for it.

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We Are Not the East Coast

This may be one of the biggest changes we need to make in North Texas landscaping.

We have historically planted many landscapes with what I would call an East Coast mentality.

We like plants that are lush.

We like plants that require regular moisture.

We like landscapes that stay green.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

As long as we have the water to support them.

But North Texas is not the East Coast.

We don’t receive 40–60 inches of rainfall every year.

Our rainfall can come in huge quantities during the spring and fall and then disappear for extended periods during the summer.

That means landscape design in DFW has to account for:

• Extreme heat
• Drought
• Heavy clay soils
• High-pH soils
• Sudden rainfall
• Long dry periods
• Irrigation limitations
• Urban heat
• Freeze events
• Wind
• Full-sun exposure

We need plants that can handle Texas—not plants that merely look good on a plant list.

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Sometimes Two Weeks Without Irrigation Is Enough to Kill a Landscape

We’ve seen this firsthand.

A landscape can look perfectly healthy when the irrigation system is running correctly.

Then the irrigation system goes down.

Maybe it’s a controller.

Maybe it’s a valve.

Maybe a wire has failed.

Maybe a backflow problem has shut the system down.

Maybe someone simply didn’t realize a zone wasn’t running.

Under normal summer conditions, two weeks without irrigation can be stressful.

Under extreme conditions like those we’ve experienced this summer, it can be devastating.

We’ve seen significant plant mortality in landscapes where plants were accustomed to receiving supplemental irrigation and suddenly went without it.

And we’re seeing another side of the problem in the natural environment.

Trees are dying, too.

Trees growing outside of cultivated landscapes don’t have someone standing there with a hose.

They don’t have an irrigation controller.

They don’t have a maintenance crew.

They have to survive the climate.

That tells us something.

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Plants We Believe Can Handle North Texas Extremes

No plant is bulletproof.

And we don’t want to promise anyone that a particular plant will survive every possible weather event.

As I tell customers:

“The plant didn’t read the book that said it was supposed to like this spot.”

But there are plants that, in our experience, consistently perform well through extreme heat, drought and cold when they’re properly planted and established.

Drought-Tolerant and Heat-Tolerant Plant List

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The Plant Is Only Half of the Equation

Here’s something that sometimes gets overlooked:

A great plant in the wrong irrigation zone is still a bad landscape design.

This is where landscapers and irrigators have to work together.

We need to group plants according to their water requirements.

You shouldn’t put a group of extremely drought-tolerant Texas sages on a zone that’s programmed to deliver large amounts of water because the neighboring plants need it.

You’ll eventually drown the sage.

The same thing can happen with many other drought-tolerant plants.

Think About Irrigation Like This:

High-water plants → High-water zone

Moderate-water plants → Moderate-water zone

Low-water plants → Low-water zone

Trees → Consider separate irrigation requirements

Drip irrigation → Appropriate for the plants and soil conditions

The goal isn’t simply to install an irrigation system.

The goal is to install an irrigation system that matches the landscape design.

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Eastern Red Cedar Is a Perfect Example

Eastern red cedar is an excellent example of why plant selection and irrigation have to work together.

Out in the wild, these trees grow without someone programming a controller for them.

They can be remarkably tough.

But put one into a heavily irrigated, highly cultivated landscape and suddenly you’ve changed its environment.

Too much water can create a completely different set of problems.

We’ve seen Eastern red cedars struggle when they’re planted in areas that receive more irrigation than the plant actually needs.

The wild plant and the cultivated plant are not always living in the same environment.

That’s something landscape professionals need to understand.

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We Need to Rethink How We Design North Texas Landscapes

Changing behavior is hard.

Changing habits is even harder.

But if summers like this continue to challenge our landscapes, we have a choice.

We can continue planting the same plants, watching them struggle, replacing them and spending more money.

Or we can step back and ask:

What plants actually belong here?

What plants can handle our soil?

What plants can handle our heat?

What plants can survive a drought?

What plants can handle a freeze?

What plants can live with less supplemental irrigation?

And most importantly:

How do we design the entire landscape around those realities?

That’s where good landscape design becomes so important.

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Sustainable Landscaping Doesn’t Mean an Ugly Landscape

Being water-conscious doesn’t mean your landscape has to look like a desert.

Quite the opposite.

There are beautiful trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and flowering plants that can provide:

• Color
• Texture
• Shade
• Wildlife habitat
• Seasonal interest
• Privacy
• Structure
• Curb appeal

while requiring substantially less supplemental water once established.

The key is designing with the climate instead of fighting against it.

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If Your Landscape Died This Summer, Don’t Just Replace It

This is probably the most important advice we can give.

If your landscape has been damaged or wiped out by this summer’s heat:

Don’t simply replace every plant with the exact same plant.

Before you spend thousands of dollars replacing dead material, have someone evaluate:

1. What died?
2. Why did it die?
3. Was the irrigation working?
4. Was the plant appropriate for the location?
5. Was the soil contributing to the problem?
6. Was the plant receiving too much or too little water?
7. Was reflected heat from concrete or buildings a factor?
8. Was the plant exposed to too much afternoon sun?
9. Should the irrigation zones be redesigned?
10. Could a more Texas-adapted plant perform better?

Those questions can save you a lot of money.

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Peterson’s Landscape Can Help You Build a More Resilient Landscape

At Peterson’s Landscape, we don’t believe anyone can guarantee that every plant will survive every North Texas summer.

We can’t control the weather.

We can’t control whether we get 40 inches of rain or 20.

We can’t control whether August brings normal temperatures or multiple days above 105°F.

But we can control how we design the landscape.

We can select better plants.

We can evaluate your soil.

We can design better irrigation zones.

We can group plants according to their water requirements.

We can consider sun exposure.

We can consider drainage.

We can consider the surrounding buildings and concrete.

And we can build a landscape that is better suited to the environment we’re actually living in.

Peterson’s Landscape has been serving North Texas since 1989, and our team includes experienced professionals in landscape design, irrigation, plant health, landscape installation and maintenance.

We’ve been through a few Texas summers.

And we’re still learning.

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Let’s Design for the Texas We Actually Have

Maybe the lesson from 2026 isn’t that Texas is getting too hot to landscape.

Maybe the lesson is that we need to landscape differently.

We need to stop assuming every plant belongs everywhere.

We need to stop treating irrigation as an afterthought.

We need to stop designing landscapes as though North Texas has an unlimited water supply.

And we need to start choosing plants that are prepared for the reality of this climate.

Because the next extreme summer will come.

We just don’t know exactly when.

And when it does, we want your landscape to be ready.

 

See links below for further reading.

• Landscape Design Services → Peterson’s Landscape Design Services
• Smart Sprinkler Systems → Peterson’s Rachio Smart Irrigation Controller & Lighting
• Irrigation Repair → Peterson’s Irrigation & Sprinkler Systems
• North Texas Watering Schedule → Peterson’s North Texas Watering Guide
• North Texas Soil Problems & Lawn Repair Guide → I found this article listed on Peterson’s site, but I did not get a reliable direct URL from the search results, so I would not invent one.
• Spring Lawn Care → Peterson’s Seasonal Lawn & Landscape Care Guide
• Landscape Maintenance → Peterson’s Residential Lawn Maintenance