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
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - August 26, 2008
From: Benton City, WA
Region: Northwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Plant for eastern facing side of house in Washington
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I was considering putting some Lily of the Nile in front of the eastern facing side of my home. Is this plant a suitable choice for planting here in Eastern Washington?ANSWER:
Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus spp.) is native to South Africa so we wouldn't recommend them for planting since what we are about here at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is to "increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes." You can see a list of more than 200 Washington Recommended native species that are commercially available for landscaping by clicking on Washington on the map on our Recommended Species page. Here are some choices from that list that you might consider instead of Lily of the Nile:
Iris missouriensis (Rocky Mountain iris)
Iris douglasiana (Douglas iris)
Brodiaea coronaria (crown brodiaea)
Camassia quamash (small camas)
Lilium columbianum (Columbia lily)
Maianthemum stellatum (starry false lily of the valley)
Triteleia grandiflora var. grandiflora (largeflower triteleia)
Aconitum columbianum (Columbian monkshood)
Lupinus sericeus (silky lupine)
Phacelia sericea (silky phacelia)
Aquilegia formosa (western columbine)
Chamerion angustifolium ssp. angustifolium (fireweed)
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
Ground cover plants for a shady North Carolina yard
March 20, 2016 - Ground cover erosion control for heavily shaded area in Cary, North Carolina. Current landscapers use strong blowers for leaf control. This blows away any seeds, loose soil and mulch. Tree roots ar...
view the full question and answer
Salvia that needs dividing in Maryville MO
April 09, 2010 - I have some May Night salvia that is 3 years old. Last summer it split in the middle and spent a lot of the summer laid open. I'm wondering if it needs to be split or pruned in some way?
view the full question and answer
Perennial ground cover for hillside in Holmdel NJ
April 25, 2014 - I live in NJ. I would like to use a perennial ground cover for my landscaping bed on a hill with full sun and deer resistant. It's a good size landscaping bed that is facing east (southeast).
What...
view the full question and answer
Steep slope from Charlotte NC
May 03, 2012 - I live near Charlotte, NC and I have a very steep sloped area from the edge of our front yard down to the road. It's a huge eyesore mainly because it is red clay dirt and has nothing growing on it. W...
view the full question and answer
Need plants to grow between flagstones in Vista, CA.
February 06, 2012 - Hi, I have put in a flagstone patio set in DG. The DG is creating a very sandy messy surface on the flagstone, so want to plant a low ground cover between the joints. Its a fairly large area, in sun...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |