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 - June 09, 2008
From: Nacogdoches, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Groundcovers
Title: Native groundcover for sun in East Texas
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I am hoping you can advise me on a native, flowering, fast growing groundcover that would thrive in full sun, with some shady areas under a couple camellia trees. I live in Nacogdoches and have sandy soil. I was hoping to try Crossvine, but I've not heard much about it as a groundcover. If Crossvine could work, how aggressively would I need to prune to keep it from growing up the camelias and instead having it spread along the ground? Thank you!ANSWER:
How aggressively would you have to prune Bignonia capreolata (crossvine) to keep it out of your camellias? Do you own a chain saw? And do you have a day job? Crossvine is a lovely plant, and attracts hummingbirds, but it would be up that camellia in a flash. Likewise, its cousin, Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper), which does run along the ground where there's nothing to climb, tripping passersby and sometimes referred to as "hellvine," if that gives you a clue. You might have a little better luck with Passiflora incarnata (purple passionflower) - it also runs along the ground. It will climb, but if you're nimble, you might be able to keep it out of the camellia. Some of the other plants, which we will list below, are a little taller than the usual groundcover, and the last two are considered by some to be weeds. And you know what a weed is, a plant in the wrong place. After you've read the website on each plant, if you find some plants you're interested in, go to the Suppliers section of our website, type the name of your town and state in the Enter Search Location box, and you will get a list of native plant suppliers of both seeds and plants, as well as landscape professionals, in your general area.
Oenothera speciosa (pinkladies)
Callirhoe involucrata (purple poppymallow)
Hydrocotyle bonariensis (largeleaf pennywort)
Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy)
More Groundcovers Questions
Ground cover for heavily traveled walkway from Redondo Beach CA
April 23, 2013 - I am looking for a drought resistant ground cover that you can walk on. I live on a south facing, sunny corner lot, 2 blocks from the beach where people park and need to cross over to get to the sidew...
view the full question and answer
Replacing Weeds with Native Plants in Dallas Area
May 29, 2011 - I have a large oak tree in my front yard and lots and lots of miscellaneous weeds (clover, chickweed, stickers, etc.). I am wanting to grow grass in my front yard, that is shaded pretty much most of t...
view the full question and answer
Groundcover for Laredo Texas
July 04, 2011 - I am in Laredo, TX and no longer want to waste water on grass. I would like to pull it all out and plant native, drought resistant ground cover - low growing, between 6-12 inches, sun and partial sha...
view the full question and answer
Groundcover for clay soil in Southern California
August 08, 2012 - I live in Southern California and have hard packed clay soil in my yard. Could you recommend ground cover that would be green, low to the ground, require little water and survive in clay? I can't a...
view the full question and answer
Ground cover for Brooklyn, NY
January 25, 2013 - Hi Mr Smarty Plants,
I'm looking for a fast growing ground cover for my Brooklyn, NY back yard. The area is nestled between 3 buildings and a fairly large tree, so most of the day its shady, but ...
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. |
