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
Monday - July 29, 2013
From: Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Groundcovers, Shade Tolerant, Grasses or Grass-like, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Ground cover for shady area in north Texas
Answered by: Guy Thompson
QUESTION:
I'm looking for a ground cover for a mostly shady area where St. Augustine won't grow. I don't want the ground cover to overtake my established St. Augustine in the rest of the yard. The area is under a huge red oak. Will the Straggler Daisy compete with St. Augustine? What are some other suggestions? Thanks from Dallas, Tx!ANSWER:
You are not alone in trying to solve this problem. Mr. Smarty Plants has answered several such questions, and the following one is typical. Straggler daisy will not seriously encroach on St. Augustine in a sunny spot, although it might form a very small colony along the edge of shade. I have tried several sedge species, and Cedar sedge is the only one that remains quite low in growth habit. It complements St. Augustine nicely but is slow-growing compared to Straggler daisy. Other low-growing, perennial species include the above-mentioned frogfruit and Ruellia humilis (Fringeleaf wild petunia) and Viola sororia (Missouri violet). I have found these to look good when mowed at a height of 4 inches under red oaks. The violet seems to need a bit more water than the others. Be patient!
Other recommended species with a higher growth habit include Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana (Hinckley's golden columbine) and Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower). In addition to the Inland sea oats recommended above, a lower growing grass, Paspalum setaceum (Thin paspalum), grows well in shade.
In my experience in Austin, only Dichondra carolinensis (Carolina ponysfoot) and Oxalis stricta (Common yellow oxalis) show any sigh of infiltrating a healthy St. Augustine sod.
Most of these plants should be available at one of your local plant nurseries.
Images of some of the suggested plants are shown below.
From the Image Gallery
More Groundcovers Questions
Vinca as a groundcover
February 11, 2016 - Someone told me that Vinca would be a great ground cover for my very large mostly shaded area. How can I establish it and where can I get it?
Thanks in advance.
view the full question and answer
Ecosysystem with pecan at center from Austin
February 21, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I would like to create a native tree guild around a mature pecan. It shares its space with native shrubs and ephemerals but I would like to add a nitrogen fixing plant. I am...
view the full question and answer
Native Grasses for Houston, TX
April 06, 2015 - What native grasses can I use for my lawn in Houston, TX? It appears that Habiturf is not recommended for our climate. Is there another variety of seed available yet that I can use to start a small ...
view the full question and answer
Non-native invasive chickweed in Collegeville PA
December 31, 2011 - My problem is chickweed. I have found considerable information on how to eliminate the chickweed. My question is after following a suggested elimination process: How and when do I reseed with grass?...
view the full question and answer
Native plants for groundcover under Magnolia in Austin
April 09, 2009 - What plants native to the Austin, Tx area will do well underneath a large magnolia tree (instead of the English ivy that is there)?
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |