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
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - March 10, 2010
From: Morgantown, WV
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Trees
Title: Trees for barrier fence near swimming pool in West Virginia
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Near swimming pool, barrier fence needs to replace pine trees. Prefer blooming perennial at least 12' high,low sun exposure, minimal pruning.ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants suggests the following small trees/large shrubs for your barrier fence. All are West Virginia natives and will grow in shade (less than 2 hours of sun per day) and/or partial shade (2 to 6 hours of sun per day):
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel), an evergreen
Morella cerifera (wax myrtle), evergreen
Rhododendron catawbiense (Catawba rosebay), evergreen
Rhododendron maximum (great laurel), evergreen
Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay), semi-evergreen to evergreen
Cornus alternifolia (alternateleaf dogwood)
Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw)
Amelanchier canadensis (Canadian serviceberry)
Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)
Chionanthus virginicus (white fringetree)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Prunus americana (American plum)
Sorbus americana (American mountain ash)
Viburnum rufidulum (rusty blackhaw)
You can see other possibilities by checking out the West Virginia Recommended list. You can NARROW YOUR SEARCH by selecting "Trees" or "Shrubs" from the GENERAL APPEARANCE category.
Here are photos of the above from our Image Gallery:
More Trees Questions
Optimum planting time for perennials and trees
November 02, 2007 - Our group is running out of fall workdays. Is it OK to plant native perennials and small trees in Central Texas during the winter months? Or should we wait now until the spring?
view the full question and answer
Windthrow Resistant Trees for Northeast Connecticut
January 07, 2011 - We live in northeast CT, and prefer to plant native trees. Many people here do not want trees around their homes, despite the benefits of shade and shelter they provide, because they are afraid of win...
view the full question and answer
Controlling Tree Roots in Sewer Lines
July 16, 2014 - We had a leak with our underground pipes near the meter box - the pipes are at least a foot or more underground. My plumber poured table salt on the pipes to deter roots from a nearby tree from gettin...
view the full question and answer
Magnolia Not Doing Well in Round Rock, Texas
June 25, 2011 - I have a Magnolia grandiflora in my back yard, planted on May 20th of this year. Located on a western exposure with no shade and about 18' tall x 10' wide. I've been watering it every 3-4 days or ...
view the full question and answer
Oak Selection in Austin
September 11, 2010 - The City of Austin is offering me two free trees to plant in my front yard. I live on the limestone shelf that is Northwest Austin, with only a few inches of topsoil that was brought in by the home b...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |