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
Wednesday - June 23, 2010
From: Iola, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant, Turf, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Will Thunder Turf do well in shade from Iola TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Will the Thunder Turf do well in shady areas or is there a better blend of native grasses that would thrive better?ANSWER:
Native American Seed has a product page on Thunder Turf, which indicates that it is full sun only. At this point there are no shade-tolerant native grasses that could be considered turf grasses, low-growing and mowable. NAS also has a Shade Friendly Grass Mix composed of:
Tridens flavus (purpletop tridens)
Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats)
Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye)
Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama)
Elymus virginicus (Virginia wildrye)
Setaria machrostachya (plains bristlegrass) - pictures and more information
Nassella leucotricha (Texas wintergrass)
These are still not going to be urban lawn grasses. You can follow each link to our page on that grass in our Native Plant Database to learn its growing conditions, expected size and light requirements.
From our Native Plant Image Gallery:
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Native grasses for traffic area in Austin
February 11, 2009 - What time of the year is best to plant grass seed in Central Texas? My lawn is in bad shape due to the drought and my dogs. I am considering replanting with tall fescue, do you have any comments or ...
view the full question and answer
Need plants for a ecoregion prairie project in Cleburne, TX
October 30, 2014 - I have a ecoregion prairie project in which students are to plant from pots a small area so visitors might see what the seeded area will become. We are struggling to find potted plants. HELP
view the full question and answer
Native Plants for Year Round Interest
February 16, 2015 - I'm involved in a paradigm shift from traditional bedding plants (petunias, zinnias, begonias, etc.) to native plants. I realize that native plants have natural life cycles where they look pretty bad...
view the full question and answer
Use of Turffalo in Possum Kingdom TX
June 27, 2013 - Hello, we will be building a retirement home in the hillside area of Possum Kingdom Lake which currently has cactus, cedar, and some live oaks. Our intention is to keep most of the 8 acres natural wi...
view the full question and answer
Native grasses and turf grass for VA
February 08, 2012 - I recently moved to Blacksburg, Virginia. I am becoming involved with a church here that recently started a grounds committee. There is some discussion within the group of which varieties of native ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |