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.
rate this answer
Wednesday - July 13, 2016
From: Pleasanton, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pests, Groundcovers, Shade Tolerant, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Shade Tolerant Groundcover for Texas
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
I live in Atascosa county in Pleasanton Texas, I have an abundance of Live Oak and Ash trees shading my property and need a groundcover for my backyard which is nothing but sand and where I have dogs and a major flea problem. Can you please help me find a traffic and animal hardy, shade loving, flea fighting, native that loves sand and can handle 30+ year old oaks?ANSWER:
Thanks for your tough question. You have a very challenging site for any type of plant - shade, sand, flea fighting, and foot/paw traffic. So to start, take a look at the Native Plant Database on our website (www.wildflower.org) and put in the following search criteria: Texas, Herb & Vine, Perennial, Shade, Dry and 0-1 feet to find a native groundcover.
A couple of plants are potentials so far ...
Mitchella repens (partridgeberry) A trailing, evergreen herb with white, fragrant, tubular flowers in pairs. Partridgeberry is a creeping, perennial herb, no taller than 2 in. high. All parts are dainty, including its pairs of small, rounded, evergreen leaves; tiny, trumpet-shaped, pinkish-white flowers; and scarlet berries.
A most attractive woodland creeper with highly ornamental foliage, it can be used as a groundcover under acid-loving shrubs and in terraria in the winter. The common name implies that the scarlet fruits are relished by partridges, and they are consumed by a variety of birds and mammals.
Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil) A familiar plant with prostrate stems, which root at the nodes, and flowers and leaves arising from runners on separate stalks. Runners are 6-20 in. Five-parted leaves and five-petaled, yellow flowers
Parthenocissus vitacea (Hiedra creeper) A vine with good fall colour and tolerant of shade and sand.
These plants have some ability to withstand foot traffic but not continuously. So it is adviseable to restrict the areas that the dog can trample - at least until the groundcovers are established.
There are several articles online about plants that repel fleas. Most of the plants listed are herbs - rosemary, sage, mints, lavender, etc. Perhaps these can be planted in a sunnier part of the garden to help fight the fleas.
From the Image Gallery
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
Fall care for Fan Scarlet lobelia in Rock Island IL
November 09, 2009 - What do I do with Scarlet Fan lobelia in the fall; do I cut it back or let it go as is?
view the full question and answer
Groundcovers & Shrubs for Shade in North Carolina
April 30, 2013 - Mr Smarty Pants,
My neighbor planted cypress trees as a border between his yard and ours and it is sucking up every drop of water and nutrient. We also have a purple plum in the area which creates ...
view the full question and answer
Competition between Horseherb and Chickweed
July 04, 2014 - Ok, sorry I did it wrong the 1st time!? I live in Houston, and I have chickens! I also have mass amounts of Horseherb, and I want to buy some chickweed seeds and plant it for my chickens! My question ...
view the full question and answer
Milkweed recommendations for Austin, TX
October 20, 2014 - I live on thin limestone soil in Austin's NW Hills. I'd like to plant some milkweed to help the monarch butterflies in their migration. Which species should I plant, and are those available in our...
view the full question and answer
Failure to bloom of coreopsis
July 16, 2008 - Hi, 2 things..asked a question last yr re: scuttelaria (sp)-purple etc..you could not locate. Finally did at High Country Gardens in NM. Now a new question: Cannot get my coreopsis to bloom.. Have di...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |