Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Monday - October 22, 2007
From: Frisco, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Wildflowers suitable for full sun and partial shade in the Dallas, Texas area
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
What wildflowers are best for the Dallas area both in sunny and semi shade locations? Are you able to purchase by mail?ANSWER:
You can find a list of "commercially available native plant species suitable for planned landscapes in North Central Texas" by choosing TX—North Central under Recommended Native Plants by Region and State on our Recommended Species page. You can Narrow Your Search by choosing plant characteristics and growing conditions that interest you.Here are a few herbaceous flowers that do well in full sun and in dry soil:
Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower)
Gaillardia pulchella (firewheel)
Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet)
Melampodium leucanthum (plains blackfoot)
And, here are a couple of shrubs that do well in full sun and dry soil:
Lantana urticoides (West Indian shrubverbena)
These are herbaceous flowers that do well in partial shade and dry soil:
Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine)
Conoclinium coelestinum (blue mistflower)
Phlox drummondii (annual phlox)
Rudbeckia hirta (blackeyed Susan)
And, these are shrubs that do well in partial shade and dry soil:
Rhus aromatica (fragrant sumac)
Mahonia trifoliolata (agarita)
Some of these plants will do well in either full sun or partial shade, and there are many more to choose from.
The Wildflower Center doesn't sell plants by mail (we have two onsite sales every year, our Spring Plant Sale and our Fall Plant Sale), but you can search for nurseries and seed companies that specialize in native plants for your area in our National Suppliers Directory. The Collin County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas also shows a list of suppliers in your general area.
More Shade Tolerant Questions
Foundation garden in shade in Durham, NC
April 29, 2009 - I'm trying to replant a 3'x8' garden near the foundation of our house in Durham, NC. This part of the yard gets little, if any, sun and is mostly clay. I've tried adding compost and soil conditi...
view the full question and answer
Small area native plant gardening for an apartment
November 14, 2008 - Mr.Smarty, We live in an apartment and are fortunate to have a small area, 5'x5', and so want color! Here in Houston the winters don't freeze much and the summers are HOT. Luckily, we are in the ...
view the full question and answer
Shrubs and other plants for shady area in Austin
March 22, 2010 - I am looking for what kind of shrubs, plants that I can plant under my very shady oak trees in South Austin. Soil is good, I want to have some lushness under my trees instead of dirt, I have a small a...
view the full question and answer
Edible plants in shade in Enville TN
June 15, 2009 - I have a flower bed against the back of my house with nothing in it. We moved into this house late last year and I was planning on planting some tomato plants there until I discovered it never gets an...
view the full question and answer
Sun and shade landscaping in Coppell TX
April 03, 2011 - My two-story home in Coppell Texas faces north. The houses are ten feet apart. The sun leaves the front yard late-0ctober/early-November. It is March 24 and the beds are still in house shade. In s...
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
