Native Plants
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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.
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Sunday - July 18, 2010
From: Grand Blanc, MI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Screen and shade for pool in Michigan
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
We recently moved to a new home that has a pool. There is no shade nor privacy. What types of trees, plants would you recommend for our small backyard?ANSWER:
You can look at our Michigan Recommended list of native plants that are commercially available for landscaping in Michigan. Using the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option in the sidebar you can select various criteria for your plant. For instance, under GENERAL APPEARANCE, select 'Tree' or 'Shrub' and under LIGHT REQUIREMENT select 'Sun - 6 or more hours'. You can also make selections from other categories. Here are a few recommendations from that list, but you can make your own choices:
SMALL TREES/SHRUBS
Crataegus mollis (downy hawthorn)
Ilex verticillata (common winterberry)
Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood)
Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (shrubby cinquefoil)
Physocarpus opulifolius (common ninebark)
HERBACEOUS PLANTS
Lilium philadelphicum (wood lily)
Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine)
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)
FERNS (these ferns will grow in full sun)
Dryopteris cristata (crested woodfern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Since I don't know all the characteristics of your site (e.g., soil moisture and type), you should check the GROWING CONDITIONS on each species page to be sure they are compatible with your site.
Here are photos from our Image Gallery:
More Shade Tolerant Questions
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Wet & Shade in South Austin
February 19, 2011 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants - I live in south Austin (S. of Ben White) in a new development. Our houses are fairly close together, so there's little sun between them. The issue is that when it does rain, ...
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Deer Resistant part shade plants for Austin:
March 28, 2010 - What evergreen shrubs would you recommend for a partly-shaded area, next to a wall, which can be trimmed to keep their shape and height (for symmetry)..this is for a front gate to a community, so we n...
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Native flowering vine for trellis in shade in Henrico, VA
April 07, 2010 - I live in Henrico, Virginia and have a trellis in a shady area. I am looking for a native vine to grow, preferably one that flowers and attracts birds and/or butterflies. What do you advise?
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Native understory plants for shade under live oaks
June 09, 2008 - I have large live oak trees in my front yard. I would like to start North Central Texas native landscaping under them, where no grass will grow. Do you know of some plants that would do well in ful...
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