Native Plants
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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.
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Thursday - December 10, 2009
From: Humble, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Compost and Mulch, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Native grass mix suitable for Houston
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Do you have a native grass mix that is appropriate to the Houston area- or will the one you have developed to this point work as well here as it does in Central Texas? If not, when will you begin to develop such a grass for this area? Best regards.ANSWER:
Indeed, we do! Dr. Mark Simmons, Wildflower Center ecologist, has been leading the research to determine the best mix for native turf grass for Texas and the winners are: Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss), Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama), and Hilaria belangeri (curly-mesquite). There are caveats, however—all three of these grasses love the sun and don't do well in shade (less than 2 hours or sun per day) or part shade (2 to 6 hours of sun per day) and buffalograss doesn't like sand. If your lawn has shady areas, you can use a shade-tolerant groundcover in that area and use the turf mix in the sunny areas. If your lawn is extremely sandy, you will need to add compost to the sand for buffalograss to do well. Indeed, adding compost to your soil, no matter what its major component is, is a good idea. Please see our How to Article, Native Lawns, for more information about creating a native lawn with these grasses. The article also gives links to seed companies that carry seeds for these grasses. Here are a few suggestions for shade-loving groundcovers:
Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy)
Phyla nodiflora (turkey tangle fogfruit)
Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge)
You can see more native plants for the Houston area from the Native Plant Society of Texas-Houston Chapter.
Here are photos from our Image Gallery:
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
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April 28, 2012 - I am trying to install a native lawn. A story on KVUE suggested 2 lb Buffalo, 1.5 lb Blue Grama, and 6 oz of Curly Mesquite.
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Grass for Charleston SC
August 13, 2010 - Hey Mr. Smarty Plants. I live in Charleston, SC and am having trouble with my grass. What is the best wear resistant grass to plant in my area and when is the best time to plant it?
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Removing Texas cedar Juniperus ashei from Blanco River banks
February 26, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
Should cedar trees be removed from our Blanco River banks to prevent them from sucking too much of our precious water before it makes it into the river system?
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