Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

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.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
2 ratings

Friday - July 15, 2011

From: Washington, DC
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Need suggestions for alternatives for Crape Myrtle in Washington, DC.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

What can you recommend as native alternatives to the shorter (garden-sized) crape myrtle cultivars?

ANSWER:

To get an idea of the size of plants we need to look for, I consulted this link from North Carolina State University and found that dwarf cultivars of Crape Myrtle range from 5 to 20’.

The Houston Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) has a program called NICE (Natives Instead of Common Exotics) that encourages people to utilize native plants in their landscape, and provides suggested alternatives for the exotics. Below is an excerpted list of “Bird and Butterfly Plants” which has several alternatives for crape myrtle.

Small Trees:
Use: 
Mexican Plum, Redbud, Green Hawthorn, Deciduous Holly, Cherry Laurel, Wild Crab Apple, American Holly, Red Buckeye, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Farkleberry, Smooth Sumac, Flame-Leaf Sumac, Tooth-Ache Tree
Instead of Exotics: 
Bradford Pear, Crape Myrtle, Wax Leaf Ligustrum, Red tip Photinia 
 
Medium Sized Trees:
Use: 
Red Buckeye, American Hop Hornbeam, Hornbeam, Gum Bumelia, Flowering Dogwood, Rough-leaf Dogwood,
Mexican Plum, Redbud, Carolina Buckthorn, Drummond Red Maple, Green Hawthorn, American Holly
Instead of Exotics:
Bradford Pear, Chinese Elm (also known as lacebark, Drake, Allee, Bosque Elm), Crape Myrtle, Red tip Photinia,
Chinese Tallow, Goldenrain Tree, Chinese Umbrella Tree (also known as Chinaberry Tree or Melia), Mimosa,

This sort of looks overwhelming but if we utilize our Native Plant Database, we might can make it manageable.

First, lets select a few plants that could be possibilities. ( Redbud, Cherry Laurel, Flame-leaf sumac, Deciduous Holly). Now go to the the Database and enter each plant name (one at a time) in the “Search native plant database” box. Click the “go” button, and you will get the NPIN page for that plant. Things to look for on the page: the scientific name of the plant, a description of the plant that includes its mature size, growth requirements such as amount of water, light needed, and soil type, and other plant characteristics. Scroll down to the “Additional Resources” box and click on the plant name next to USDA plants. The page that comes up contains a distribution map that shows the geographical areas where the plant grows.
Do this for all of the plants on our short list, and if you are still having fun, continue on through the long list and see what strikes your fancy.

Our Suppliers Directory can help you locate businesses in your area that sell the plants you select .

 

From the Image Gallery


Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis

Carolina cherry-laurel
Prunus caroliniana

Prairie flameleaf sumac
Rhus lanceolata

Possumhaw
Ilex decidua

More Non-Natives Questions

Non-flowering plants in Scottsdale AZ
July 01, 2013 - I have three plants that are supposed to do well in Arizona but mine are not flowering. The yellow bells and orange jubilee I have get full sun, drip watered 3 x a week for 1 1/2 hrs (at 4am) and are...
view the full question and answer

Zucchini blooms but no fruit
August 26, 2008 - My zuchinni has lots of flowers, but they seem to fall and I am getting no fruit.. WHY
view the full question and answer

Identification of non-native bougainvillea
December 18, 2008 - What is the Scientific Name of the Central Texas Ornamental that people call Bogan Vilias. I think that is the correct spelling. The Plant is Perenial. Their flowers are terminal, the petals are in ...
view the full question and answer

Forget-me-nots choking a spring in Bethlehem PA
June 20, 2013 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I am restoring a native plant area along a spring that feeds directly into our local creek. Right now the spring is becoming choked with forget-me-nots, that I am trying ...
view the full question and answer

Care for non-native ice plant in Virginia
October 12, 2008 - Regarding the ice plant in Virginia - do you cut it back or just trim or just leave it alone before winter?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.