Farmers Branch committee discusses replacing roses with drought‑tolerant, native plantings

The Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee on Oct. 11 heard from parts manager Urbano Ivas about a shift toward drought‑tolerant, native landscaping at city parks and medians.

“ We are putting a lot of drought tolerant and native plants in in that park,” Urbano Ivas said, describing plant selections for the new Hoya Park and other beds. He told the committee staff expect to open the park soon and that choices were driven by freeze‑resilience and lower long‑term maintenance needs.

Members pressed staff about repurposing high‑maintenance rose beds and medians along Valley View and Morris Lane into lower‑water native plantings, citing repeated die‑offs and irrigation challenges. One member suggested a phased “rewilding” pilot at Webb Chapel or Bicentennial Park that would limit mowing and add native grasses and pollinator plantings to reduce fuel and labor costs.

Committee members also proposed interpretive signs, QR codes and school outreach to explain that some native plantings go through seasonal cycles and can look unkempt between bloom periods. Staff said they will explore more visible demonstrations and coordinate with communications staff to promote successes.

Urbano reported recent freeze damage to many trees and said parks staff planted about 38 trees last year and hope to add roughly 25 more as funding and establishment conditions allow. He noted that limited irrigation in some sites complicates establishing larger specimens and that the department tries to site replacements where irrigation is available.

Next steps: staff will follow up with specific median and site lists, consider a small pilot conversion to native species, and coordinate signage and outreach with communications. The committee recommended placing the planning and zoning landscaping/tree‑preservation ordinances on a future agenda so members can provide input.