Native Plants

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Thursday - November 13, 2008

From: Roanoke, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Low plants for shady, damp area in Roanoke, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

First, thanks for answering my first question about Texas Native Trees for our new home! I have just started working on plans for our back yard and have a question about Texas Native Shade plants. We have an area that seems to remain somewhat damp with little watering as it gets little to no sun. I am looking for some low lying plants and ground cover to place here. This area is where our master bedroom windows are so I do not want anything that will get too tall(2-3 feet). We like color, flowers and want a few things that will either have interest through the year or alternate interest so at least there's something. Thanks again for all the wonderful help!

ANSWER:

Thanks, we're glad to help, hope the trees you select will do well. We will go to our Recommended Species site,and see what we can find for "shade" which we consider to be less than 2 hours of sun a day, and moist soil. We're going to select North Central Texas on the United States map, and then select, first, Herbs (herbaceous plants) on the drop-down menu for Habit, Shade for Light Requirement and Moist soil. Next, we'll look for some grasses in the same way, as there are some very attractive grasses that can tolerate that little light and the moist soil. And, we'll add in a couple of low ground covers. They will give some variety and texture to your garden. We probably referred you last time to our Native Plant Suppliers section, where you put your town and state in the "Enter Search Location" box and get a list of native plant nurseries, seed companies and landscape consultants. Here are our suggestions but you can certainly go looking for more in our Native Plant Database.

HERBS (herbaceous plants)

Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine) - up to 2' tall, perennial, blooms red, pink, yellow, blooms February to July

Lobelia cardinalis (cardinalflower) - 1 to 6' tall, perennial, red, May to October

Rudbeckia hirta (blackeyed Susan) - annual to short-lived perennial, 1-3' tall, yellow, June to October

GRASSES

Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama) - 2 to 3' stems, perennial, red, yellow, May to October

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) - 3 to 8' tall, perennial, yellow, August to October

GROUND COVERS

Phyla nodiflora (turkey tangle fogfruit) - 3 TO 6" tall, perennial, white, May to October

Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy) - 6 to 12" tall, perennial, March to November

Aquilegia canadensis

Lobelia cardinalis

Rudbeckia hirta

Bouteloua curtipendula

Sorghastrum nutans

Phyla nodiflora