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.
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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.
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Friday - April 06, 2007
From: Graham, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Turf
Title: Calyptocarpus vialis, Horseherb, for shady, mowable lawn
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
Graham, Texas, Heavily wooded. Too shady for St. Augustine grass. Need mowable ground cover near house. Have heard of something called horsewort, but not able to find anything about it.ANSWER:
The plant you heard about is probably Calyptocarpus vialis, Horseherb or Straggler Daisy. It is a very good choice for shady areas and does not mind at all being mowed. Some consider it a lawn weed, but for shaded areas where grass does not grow well, it is probably our best native groundcover.
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