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
Wednesday - July 01, 2015
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Turf, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Best grass for the shade in Austin, TX.
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
What is the best grass seed for shade in Austin?ANSWER:
Although you did not specify in your question, we are supposing you're asking about the best turf grass for shady situations for Austin, TX. If not, then we can highly recommend Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) for shady locations, although it can become a bit aggressive for some situations.
If, as we suspect, you're asking about lawn grasses then we must first say that the focus of our research and the extent of our expertise is limited to North American native plant species. Thus, turf grasses typically found in the Austin area such as Bermudagrass, St. Augustine Grass and Zoysia Grass are outside our area of study and we cannot recommend them. However, St. Augustine Grass, a heavy water-user, is most often used in shady situations in your area. Unfortunately, none of the native grasses that can be used in lawns, such as Buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides), Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and Curly Mesquite (Hilaria belangeri) are suitable for shady areas.
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Groundcover for Critical Area Buffer Zone in Maryland
October 06, 2014 - Help RE: Maryland Critical Area Buffer Zone. Is there a low or no- mow grass native to Maryland that can be used in a Critical Area Buffer Zone. The area is Sunny/Clay. Or can you recommend a grou...
view the full question and answer
Effect of heavy rains on Lindheimer Muhly
May 04, 2015 - It is April 2015, in San Antonio we've had very heavy rains recently. My Lindheimer muhly, which was looking beautiful, has now turned brown all over. Is this normal or is this a problem?
view the full question and answer
Herbicide on Habiturf from Austin
May 31, 2014 - Can you recommend an herbicide that is safe to use on a Habiturf lawn?
I followed the directions to put in a new Habiturf lawn about a month ago. The grass seedlings are doing well in places, but ...
view the full question and answer
Native replacement for non-native Bermudagrass in Leander TX
October 16, 2011 - We have Bermuda grass. Large patches have died due to the drought and our yard has been taken over by weeds and St. Augustine grass whose seeds must have blown in. Even when the grass was in great con...
view the full question and answer
Need native grasses to re-introduce on land in Live Oak County, Texas.
July 21, 2009 - How do I find out what type of grass is native and how to reintroduce it (once we get some rain)? The area is southern Live Oak County approx 10 miles north of Orange Grove TX, about 2 miles from Lak...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |