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
Sunday - September 13, 2009
From: Wilmingfton, DE
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Shade tree for cemetery in Wilmington DE
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
We are looking for a shade tree for a cemetery in Delaware. The tree will be planted only a few feet from some existing gravesites. What trees would you recommend that will not interfere with the gravesites?ANSWER:
"Shade tree" infers a large, spreading tree, but what you don't see is that the roots of that tree will spread to possibly three times the diameter of the top of the tree. When you look at a mature tree and see its "dripline" or where the shadow of the tree falls, envision roots going on three times that diameter. There are several types of trees that begin with a taproot, but develop surface roots, where most of the nutrients and moisture are as the tree matures. The majority of tree roots are in the top 12" of the soil and, in their quest for space, will often form a mat of roots close to the surface. When you are planning a new property, you can allow for the mature size of the tree, and place structures accordingly. But when you have a fixed area in which those trees can be planted, your best (perhaps your only) choice is for a smaller ornamental tree. We are going to go to our Recommended Species section, and search for trees native not only to Delaware, but to New Castle Co. Since you did not say what the soil, moisture availability or amount of sun you have, we will select several different trees you might consider. Follow the plant links to the webpage on each individual tree, read its expected size and needs to flourish. From that, you can make your own choices, or go back to the Recommended Species and select other trees that suit your purposes better. In Delaware, this is probably the time to be planting, before cold weather sets in, or you could wait for Spring. In either case, arrangements should be made for the trees to be regularly watered until they are established, unless there are consistent rains.
Trees native to Delaware for a cemetery
Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam)
Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)
Chionanthus virginicus (white fringetree)
Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash)
Diospyros virginiana (common persimmon)
Prunus americana (American plum)
From the Native Plant Image Gallery
More Shade Tolerant Questions
Wax myrtle or cherry laurel in Austin?
November 15, 2009 - For a very shady area under a large old oak tree with oak toxic soil, would a Wax Myrtle or a Cherry Laurel (caroliniana) be better? Looking for an evergreen screening tree up to 20ft, but it only get...
view the full question and answer
Ground cover for a dry slope in PA
May 23, 2013 - My side yard is a slope with rocky (a lot of small serpentine rocks) soil under white and black pine trees. I can grow lots of weeds :-) but would like to plant a low (0-3in) evergreen ground cover th...
view the full question and answer
Perennial phlox for partial shade
April 16, 2008 - I am planting a butterfly garden in a plot that gets sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. I read that phlox does well in partial-shade areas, and was wondering which native, perennial phlox ...
view the full question and answer
Understory shrub for shady area in San Antonio
December 03, 2008 - We would like to plant a small understory tree/shrub in an odd space that our new deck has created between our fence line and the house. A mature mountain laurel would be our dream but I think there ...
view the full question and answer
Spring blooming plants for spring sun and summer shade
July 03, 2007 - I live in San Antonio. I'm faced with a dilemma. I've got mature native pecans. In the summer they provide beautiful full shade. However, in the winter and even into the late spring, my yard is ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |