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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Wednesday - May 30, 2012

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Invasive Plants, Non-Natives, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Keeping non-native invasive bermudagrass out of yard in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

My neighbor just sodded a huge lawn with Bermuda Celebration. I don't want it coming into my St. Augustine. From what I've read on your site and others, I need a deep barrier. Has anyone tried putting 24" by 8 foot polycarbonate or fiberglass panels between the lawns? How hard is it to do that? More importantly, does it prevent Bermuda invasion?

ANSWER:

We understand your concern about the invasiveness of bermudagrass. A problem for us is that both both Cynodon dactylon (bermudagrass) and Stenotaphrum secundatum (St. Augustine) are non-native to North America and therefore not in our Native Plant Database nor our area of expertise. However, we are always concerned about invasive plants, as they can invade our own native plantings as well as other non-natives.

We can offer you some websites that might help you:

Integrated Pest Management Online - How to Manage Pests - Bermuda Grass

WalterReeves.com Fiberglass Barriers Actually, this is about bamboo, but it is also an invasive grass, so perhap it will help.