Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Thursday - July 02, 2015
From: Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Erosion Control, Shrubs, Trees
Title: Rocky Stream Bank Plants for Dallas, TX
Answered by: Larry Larson
QUESTION:
Need live stake shrubbery or tree ideas for a rocky stream bank prone to high water. Thank youANSWER:
Mr Smarty Plants has answered a few similar questions, most of which are a bit more open in simply calling for erosion control plants. The shrubs [and trees] suggested in these question/answer pairs should be good candidates:
Erosion Control with perennials for a shady Dallas bank
Shrubs for erosion protection in Arlington TX
Plants to stop erosion on sandy slope in north central Texas
Native ground covers for rocky, shady slope in Arlington, TX
Plants to prevent creekside erosion in Nacogdoches County, Texas
As the above discussions don’t really address trees, this is a good opportunity to also discuss the method of using the Wildflower Centers collections to identify more candidates. One of the links listed on every page is “Special Collections”. From that page, you can choose the collection for your area. In this case, the “North Central Texas” collection is one of the appropriate ones.
These lists can be reduced to plants with specific characteristics. Selecting “Trees”, there are 30 candidates to consider. You can then read in the plant record notes on soil, native habitat, speed of growth and several other characteristics that may be important to you in choice of tree.
From these discussions, the plants below may well be good for your application:
Shrubs: Hibiscus laevis (Halberdleaf rosemallow), Cephalanthus occidentalis (Common buttonbush), Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon), Mahonia trifoliolata (Agarita), Morella cerifera (Wax myrtle)
Trees:
Moist, Rich soil - Acer negundo (Ash-leaf maple), Aesculus glabra (Ohio buckeye), Juglans nigra (Black walnut),
Rocky soil - Carya texana (Black hickory), Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon), Juniperus ashei (Ashe juniper), Rhus lanceolata (Prairie flameleaf sumac)
From the Image Gallery
More Shrubs Questions
Need evergreen, drought tolerant shrubs to plant next to driveway along property line in Austin, TX.
February 23, 2011 - Just moved to Austin, TX. What evergreen, drought tolerant shrubs could I plant by driveway, full sun, next to neighbors lawn. I don't want to mow, space is 3.5 ft. wide by 15ft. long. I thought ab...
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Plant identification
June 12, 2014 - We live in Magnolia TX and have a shrub we can't identify.
It's evergreen and
has waxy leaves with a serrated edge that are about an inch in length.
They have pink flowers and
they grow to ab...
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Need suggestions for plants for a bird/small wildlife refuge in Wichita Co, TX.
August 26, 2011 - With our continuing drought in North Texas, I'm planning to transform my small backyard into a bird/small wildlife "refuge". What types of native plants and grasses can I plant in dry, hot Wichita ...
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Is Ilex glabra a Good Substitute Hedge for Boxwood?
November 08, 2013 - I am planning a new garden in my yard (Mercer County, NJ). My site is south-facing, average water and average soil. The aesthetic look that I want is formal; a tightly sheared hedge of small leaves ab...
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Is Texas Mountain Laurel Honey Toxic in Fulshear, TX?
March 11, 2012 - Toxicity of Texas Mountain Laurel HONEY
I know the seeds and leaves of the Tx Mountain Laurel are toxic. But, is honey that comes from the Mountain Laurel toxic too? I heard that it is, but can'...
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