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
Saturday - January 24, 2009
From: Dublin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Groundcovers
Title: Ground cover for North Central Texas
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I live in north central Texas. My backyard has very fine, powdery sand soil. The previous owners of the property let the grass die out and now every time it gets windy, the sand gets into our patio and in our window panes. What is the best ground cover for this area. The area is about 3,000 sq ft. I also have two medium outdoor dogs. I'm open to anything that will keep the dust down. Thanks DarinANSWER:
If most of your lawn is in the sun, then your best bet is Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss). It is a low-growing turf grass that requires infrequent mowing and very little water after it is established. Once it is established, its fibrous root system will anchor the soil and prevent sand blowing into your area. It does well in the sun, but not so well in shade. Please read our HOW TO ARTICLE, Native Lawns: Buffalograss, for more information on establishing a buffalograss lawn. You can combine the buffalograss with another low-growing grass, Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama). Native American Seeds in Junction offers a mixture of the two, Native Sun Turfgrass, for sale. They also have a useful article, Planting Tips for Native Grasses, on their website.Sedges (Carex spp.) also make good groundcovers. They are generally low-growing and some are evergreen. For information about using sedges as a groundcover lawn, please read Sedge Lawns for Every Landscape by John Greenlee. Here are a few recommended sedges:
Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge)
Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge)
Carex planostachys (cedar sedge)
Here are some other low-growing plants that could also be used in your area as groundcover along with, or instead of, the grasses and sedges:
Artemisia ludoviciana (white sagebrush)
Asplenium platyneuron (ebony spleenwort) for shady areas
Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy)
Phyla nodiflora (turkey tangle fogfruit)
More Groundcovers Questions
Ground cover for a clay/shale bank in PA
April 06, 2010 - We have a 200ft x 30ft bank in front of our house (PA)
the soil is made up with clay and shale.
what ground cover will grow fast
view the full question and answer
Buffalo grass and other native grass for lawn in Central Texas
March 17, 2008 - Hi,
I live in Cedar Park, TX - recently moved to into a newly built house. I wanted to put some native grass (like buffalo) in the back yard.
- My back yard has slope (away from house) and front...
view the full question and answer
Groundcover for steep hill in Georgia
May 04, 2009 - We have a large steep hill with only clay and rocks on it in the North Georgia Mountain area. What is a good Native ground covering to put on this for erosion? Something that grows fast preferably. ...
view the full question and answer
Ground cover to withstand dog traffic in Michigan
November 02, 2010 - I need a soft ground cover that will grow in sand, and be able to take four big dogs that love to run in the yard. Grass just doesn't make it. Someone suggested that groundcover might work.
Thanks...
view the full question and answer
Virginia wild strawberry plants for New Hampshire or Massachusetts
February 25, 2009 - Where can I find Virginia wild strawberry plants or seeds for my garden and will they grow up north in New Hampshire or Massachusetts?
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. |
Bibliography
Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Texas (2003) Turner, B. L.; H. Nichols; G. Denny; O. DoronNative Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. WasowskiSearch More Titles in Bibliography
