Native Plants
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Friday - February 01, 2008
From: New City, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Suggestion for plants to replace grass in semi-shade in NY
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have an area that is in semi-shade but gets about 4-5 hours of sunlight in the summer. Instead of grass I would like to perhaps use wild flowers or even prairie type grasses. Any suggestions??ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants can recommend several ornamental prairie-type grasses that should do well in your partial shade. These can grow to 3 feet tall or more.Andropogon virginicus (broomsedge bluestem)
Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye)
Muhlenbergia capillaris (hairawn muhly)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)
You might also consider one of the sedges. The following sedges are found in New York.
Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Another possibility is to use ferns.
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal woodfern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Finally, here are some flowering plants that should do well in the area.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick)
Geranium maculatum (spotted geranium)
Mitchella repens (partridgeberry)
Tiarella cordifolia (heartleaf foamflower)
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster)
Rudbeckia hirta (blackeyed Susan)
Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox)
Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine)
You can also find a list of New York Recommended plants on our web page for more possibilities.
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