Native Plants
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Monday - September 21, 2009
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Native grasses for shade for Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I just read with interest your article on multi-species native lawns. However, I believe the suggested grasses don't grow well in the shade, is this true. Are there any suggestions for native (multi-species) lawns that will do well in shade?ANSWER:
You are correct, the native grasses suitable for Central Texas and for lawns that can be mowed are all sun lovers, and will not prosper in shade. There are, however, ornamental grasses that do very well in part shade (2 to 6 hours of sun a day) or shade (2 hours of sun). These are not, however, grasses to be mowed down into the kind of lawns homeowner's associations mandate.
Native American Seed, in Junction, TX specializes in seeds and seed mixes for Texas and surrounding areas. You can go to their home page and then click on "Shop for Seeds;" in that dropdown list click on "Grass Mixes." On that page are several grasses suitable for different uses, select "Shade-Friendly Grass Mixes." This provides a list of shade-friendly grasses, all of which are appropriate for Central Texas. However, they are not all necessarily appropriate for an urban yard, so we would suggest you buy packets of the individual seeds, instead of the mix. The ones we like for yards, used in a meadow setting, or even as a hedge along a sidewalk are:
Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats)
Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye)
Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama)
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye)
Follow the links to the pages on each grass in our Native Plant Database for more information.
Pictures from our Native Plant Image Gallery:
More Shade Tolerant Questions
Grasses for yard in part shade and shade
January 11, 2009 - I have a shady yard with no grass whatsoever in San Marcos, TX. Since there are no roots to anchor the soil, the air (and the house) is full of dust. I want to plant a native grass that does well in f...
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Sedges and ornamentals for shade in Bastrop County
June 20, 2007 - I bought a home in Elgin, TX that was owned by an elderly woman. Most of
the lawn is shaded by elm or pecan trees. In the sunny areas, i got native
wildflowers to grow like lantana and coneflower,...
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Ground cover for shady slope in Illinois
May 31, 2010 - Dear Mr. Smarty:
I have a shady sloping area that I am trying to cover with low fast growing, perennials that will keep maintenance to the minimum and prevent erosion. Grass would be very difficul...
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Vines for a shady porch in Oregon
February 22, 2010 - My husband and I just bought our first home this fall in St. Johns, Portland. We would like to grow a vine on our front porch, but it is in full shade. It faces north east. We planted some jasmine vin...
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Hibiscus to grow in partial shade in North Carolina
September 25, 2009 - What variety of hibiscus can I plant in Lexington, NC? Are there any variaties that tolerate partial shade?
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