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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Monday - August 25, 2008
From: Sheboygan, WI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Hedge for steep slope by sidewalk in Wisconsin
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have a fairly steep slope from the sidewalk to my yard. The space is about 48" high, 30" deep and 120' long. I was thinking that a boxwood hedge would fill that space nicely but no one else around here has done that and I don't know why. I would like th hedge to be at least up to the level of the yard and perhaps 3-4 feet higher. Does this make sense or are there better options?ANSWER:
Here are four shrubs that should fit into your area and look good as a hedge.Cornus sericea (redosier dogwood) with more photos and information
Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood) with more photos and information
Physocarpus opulifolius (common ninebark) with more photos and information
Amelanchier arborea (common serviceberry) with more photos and information
You can see other possibilities by visiting our Recommended Species page and clicking on Wisconsin on the map. This will give you a list of over 170 native plants suitable for landscaping in Wisconsin that are commercially available. You can then use the Narrow Your Search option and select 'Shrub' from the "Habit (general appearance) category" to reduce your list to 29 species.
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