Native Plants

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Thursday - June 05, 2008

From: Garden Ridge, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Screening bush for shady area
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I need some kind of bush that will act as an air conditioning blind. So far the deer have eaten or destroyed everything planted in the very shady mulch bed. What do you recommend?

ANSWER:

You are probably interested in something that is evergreen so that you hide the air conditioner all year round. Here are three possibilities that are evergreen, will grow in partial shade (2 to 6 hours per day), occur in Comal County and are deer-resistant.

Rhus virens (evergreen sumac)

Mahonia trifoliolata (agarita)

Sophora secundiflora (Texas mountain-laurel)

And, here are a few deciduous bushes that fit the description above:

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (coralberry)

Pavonia lasiopetala (Texas swampmallow)

Mimosa borealis (fragrant mimosa)

Ilex decidua (possumhaw)

Eysenhardtia texana (Texas kidneywood)

Aesculus pavia var. flavescens (red buckeye)