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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Thursday - March 26, 2009
From: Alamo, TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Grasses for area under pecan tree in Tennessee
Answered by: Jackie OKeefe
QUESTION:
I have two big pecan trees in my yard and would like to know what kind of grasses would thrive in the shade and also survive for my area of the country.ANSWER:
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to encouraging the use of native flora, so our suggestions work from that palette of options.
You may have two issues here. Pecan trees are in the Juglandaceae family - walnuts, butternuts, pecans and hickories. They practice a defense mechanism called allelopathy in which they release a chemical which retards the growth of other plants under them. In this case, it is a chemical called Juglone, found chiefly in buds, hulls and roots, which acts as an inhibitor. Black walnut has the highest concentration of Juglone but pecans can exhibit some of the same inhibitory behavior. Grasses are not notably affected by this chemical, but many other species are. This previous answer from Mr. Smarty Plants, although referring to a black walnut tree, gives you some excellent links to more information, as does this one on pecans in Dallas, TX.
Shade is the other factor which limits your options. Only some grasses are adapted to shade, and their growth patterns tend to have more of a woodland than a turf grass appearance. I have listed some grasses that are native to Tennessee and shade-tolerant. I also suggested a few ferns.
Other alternatives might be to use a native groundcover, a mix of native plants, or even just a layer of mulch as groundcover. The site below has a list of native plants particular to West Tennessee compiled by the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council. Scroll to the bottom to see a suggested grouping of native plants for a shady spot.
If you would like to research other options, go to our Native Plant Database, and use the Combination Search option.
Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge)
Carex crinita (fringed sedge) - pictures
Elymus hystrix var. hystrix (eastern bottlebrush grass)
Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats)
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye)
Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)
Muhlenbergia schreberi (nimblewill)
A little more about nimblewill, this grass can be a spreader; see this Wikipedia website Nimblewill.
Athyrium filix-femina (common ladyfern)
Adiantum pedatum (northern maidenhair)
Phegopteris hexagonoptera (broad beechfern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Native, low maintenance lawn for Rowley MA
September 11, 2013 - I am in Northeastern (coastal) Massachusetts and I am looking to replace my (currently high maintenance, water intensive, invasive species) lawn with a native, low maintenance species (or mix). Many o...
view the full question and answer
Juncus effusus Twister question
June 07, 2009 - I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I bought a Juncus Effusus,"Twister", and was wondering if it can be brought in the house during winter as a house plant or is it just an annual that will die in ...
view the full question and answer
Drought affecting non-native Zoysia grass in Austin
November 06, 2011 - Due to the extreme drought here in Austin this year and the watering restrictions our Zoysia lawn has suffered and appears to be dead in many areas of our lawn. Will it come back? Is there anything w...
view the full question and answer
Best Time for Dividing and Transplanting Native Bunch Grasses in Jarrell, Texas
February 02, 2011 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
What time of the year is the best for dividing and transplanting native bunch grasses like Gulf muhly, and Miscanthus?
view the full question and answer
Shorter drought-tolerant grasses
August 31, 2007 - We live on 1 1/2 acres near Dripping Springs. We have a variety of grasses, mostly tall, on the back and side of the property. Is there some type of drought tolerant shorter grass or wildflowers or gr...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |