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
Thursday - June 16, 2011
From: New York, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: drought-resistant turf grasses for New York City
Answered by: Guy Thompson
QUESTION:
Hi - I work at the Smithsonian in New York City and we have a very large lawn that is frequently used in the summer for programming. It gets very beat up. I read an article in teh New York Times about your research on drought-resistant native grass research - can you recommend a blend for the Northeast that I could suggest our gardener try? I'm also our sustainability manager, so I'd love to suggest something that would not only solve a big problem for us but also be kind to the environment. Many thanks!ANSWER:
Drought-testing mixtures of native grasses is a time-consuming process, and even the one project dealing with grasses of the Southwest is not yet completed at the Lady Bird Wildflower Center. Mr. Smarty Plants is unaware of a similar project for the New York City area. Some of the fescues have been popular there since they require relatively little watering. I find that some recent lawns used a mix of tall fescue and Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass). Advice on choosing a turf grass for New York can be found at this web site. In theory some of the newer cold-tolerant strains of bermuda grass or Bouteloua dactyloides (Buffalograss) might survive, but I have not seen evidence of that.
If your lawns are shady in places you might consider a sedge. The species most suited for your area is Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge). Carex texensis (Texas sedge) is also native to New York, but I have not seen examples of its use in your area.
From the Image Gallery
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Flowering native plants for Bastrop, TX
February 20, 2009 - What type of flowering plants, trees,and bushes will grow in Bastrop, Texas? I see lots of things around, please help, have never done before.
view the full question and answer
Habiturf care from Plano TX
July 03, 2014 - Five weeks ago, we planted a Habiturf lawn in our back yard. The grass looks great and is already about 6 inches. I have two questions to solve before we do the front yard.
We have lots of purslane m...
view the full question and answer
Native plants for roadside in Gallatin TN
February 19, 2012 - What native plant would you suggest that we try to establish on 100 feet of road frontage which gets full afternoon sun? The soil is mostly clay, and it's on a rather sleep hill about 10 feet high. ...
view the full question and answer
North Dakota Riverbank Stabilization
July 17, 2012 - Can you suggest plants to prevent and stabilize river bank erosion on Sheyenne River, ND?
Must be tolerant to cold, varying level of salts and sulfates and water level (from drought to flooding)
view the full question and answer
Pathway material for Kerrville, TX
May 30, 2009 - I have removed the St Augustine, expanded a perennial bed of mostly natives and created a pathway along the new bed. Can you recommend a plant to use as a pathway? It should require low water, be hea...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |