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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

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Thursday - October 29, 2009

From: Louisville, GA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Need a shade tree in a limited space in Louisville, GA
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

Mr. Smarty Pants, Hello! What kind of tree would be good to shade, in a limited space, and having a taproot? This is in middle Ga. One side of yard has main water pipe coming in off the road and the other side has a sewer line from the Huge Hickory tree to the house. The front yard where I need the trees faces west, so it gets the heat of the day. A screened porch runs across the front of the house. From the front of the house to the sidewalk is approx. 30'. Thanks for in advance for your input!!!! I can send pics of my front yard if needed.

ANSWER:

Lets start by looking at our Recommended Species page. Clicking on Georgia on the map will give you a list of 201 commercially available native plant species suitable for planned landscapes in Georgia. Next, go to the Narrow Your Search column on the right side of the page and make these selections: Select Georgia under STATE, Tree under GENERAL APPEARANCE, and Perennial under LIFESPAN. Check Sun under LIGHT REQUIREMENT, and Moist under SOIL MOISTURE. Your list now contains 15 tree species from which to choose. Clicking the name of each plant will bring up its NPIN page which contains the plant's characteristics, growth requirements and conditions, as well as images. Go through the list carefully and try to find a tree that matches your location.

Another source of help is the Jefferson County Office of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

Our Suppliers Directory can help you find businesses that sell native plants and provide professional landscape or consulting services in Georgia.

Here are three species that could grow into handsome trees for your front yard.

Quercus alba (white oak)

Liriodendron tulipifera (tuliptree)

Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)

This article from Colorado State University Extension will address your concerns about tree root systems.