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

Monday - March 30, 2015
From: Asheville, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Lists, Wildflowers
Title: Native wildflowers for an Asheville, NC garden.
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
I live in Asheville. I just bought a small home for the first time with a .22 acre yard. It's extremely sunny on the east side and gets good sun most of the day. Like most WNC area yards it's on a steep hill. The current grass is well established as it's an older home. And the lot doesn't hold water or remain soggy. I have no issues currently with drainage or mud. I'm a single disabled female veteran and I would like to plant wild flowers because they're beautiful but also because I can't mow and don't want to pay for constant mowing. The main reason I wanted a yard was for my retired service dog to spend her golden years kind of "out to pasture" dog style. Also there are rocks on the steepest part of the hillside which seem designed as previous flower beds but also to reduce possible past run off. However, now they would just be in the way of any mowing attempts in that area. I hope this is enough information. It's too bad one can't upload a photo to help describe their particular challenge. For me, I like a variety of wild flowers and I don't really like structured or organized landscaping. I'm hoping you can suggest hardy local species that will brighten up my yard and create a pretty area visually without requiring a ton of upkeep or professionals. And I'm not able to do a lot of physical labor so it needs to be low maintenance long term although I do understand that initially it will require more work to get started and establish than I hope to do routinely. Thanks in advance for the advice. GGANSWER:
It is impossible to give effective recommendations for general garden overhauls and design sight unseen. However, we can recommend some wildflower species that should work somewhere in your landscape with the conditions your describe:
Finally, we very much recommend exploring the excellent website of the North Carolina Native Plant Society. You will find good suggestions there for plants that will work in your garden. Further, you might consider joining their group and getting to know some other like-mined folks in your area.
More Wildflowers Questions
Seeds native to New Jersey from Glendora NJ
April 16, 2012 - My sister is getting married and would like to send out native wildflower seeds to the guests in her save the dates. We want these seeds to be NJ native seeds, but we are actually having some trouble ...
view the full question and answer
Texas wildflower blooms by month
July 20, 2007 - What Texas wildflowers bloom in January across the state? And the same for the following months throughout the year. Thank you.
view the full question and answer
More on bluebonnets
March 13, 2007 - I want to go to the Willow loop north 7 miles or so of Fredericksburg to see the bluebonnets in bloom this year but don't know when the best time would be to see this spectacular view. I plan to be ...
view the full question and answer
What plants grow well in Athens, TX?
January 18, 2011 - Athens, Texas, we have very sandy soil mixed with clay, what plants grow well here?
view the full question and answer
Raised bed for wildflowers in Kilgore TX
September 29, 2008 - Please give me ideas of how to build a raised wildflower garden in a small back yard with 50% shade all day. I have common bermuda grass with an area of a 5' X 10' setting that will receive the mos...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |