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Wednesday - September 30, 2015

From: Georgetown, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs, Vines
Title: Plants for Georgetown with shade in the AM and sun in the PM
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Hi, I live in Georgetown and I would like a recommendation for plants (shrubs and flowering perennials) that can handle deep shade until 1 or 2 pm and then have full sun blasting them til sun down. They also have the reflected heat from the garage to contend with. Are there any vegetables that can handle this as well? Oh, and of course I have heavy clay soil that I amended and the beds were dug down 8 inches and raised 4inches. Thanks!

ANSWER:

This is a challenging situation. Sun in the morning and shade later in the day is a bit easier to deal with, but here are a few possibilities.

Ageratina havanensis (Shrubby boneset)

Conoclinium coelestinum (Blue mistflower)

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (Turk's cap or turkscap)

Glandularia bipinnatifida var. bipinnatifida (Prairie verbena)

Leucophyllum frutescens (Cenizo)

Melampodium leucanthum (Blackfoot daisy)

Rhus virens (Evergreen sumac)

You might consider building an arbor or pergola for a sun-loving evergreen vine that could provide some sort of relief from the fierce summer sun. Here are suggestions for vines:

Lonicera sempervirens (Coral honeysuckle)

Bignonia capreolata (Crossvine)

Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine)

For the vegetables, since they are mostly non-native cultivars you should check with the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Sevice for suggestions. Our focus and expertise are with plants native to North America. Here is a link to their vegetable information.