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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Friday - September 06, 2013
From: Little Elm, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Xeriscapes, Drought Tolerant, Shrubs
Title: Five-eight foot hedge for north Texas
Answered by: Guy Thompson
QUESTION:
I am looking to find a fairly large (preferably flowering) shrub / hedge to go along 100 feet of fence. The plants will be facing Northeast, but will be for the most part under the branches of crape myrtle trees, so I need something that does well with a little morning sun, but is shaded the rest of the day. Would like them to be anywhere from 5-8 feet tall / wide. I live in the north Texas area - hot dry summers, hard clay soil. ThanksANSWER:
For your location I suggest the following shrubs: Rhus aromatica (Fragrant sumac), Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume), Leucophyllum frutescens (Cenizo) and Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry). Clicking on each name will give you characteristics of the plant. Note that only Cenizo is evergreen. They will not bloom so profusely in deep shade, but the shade cast by your crepe myrtles should be light enough to cause no significant decrease in bloom.
More suggestions may be found at the local Native Plant Society of Texas web site. The plants I suggest should be available at one of your local plant nurseries, and it would be best to wait to plant shrubs in cooler weather. Some planting tips for trees/shrubs are found in this article.
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