Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Wednesday - October 29, 2008
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Growing grasses under juniper trees (Juniperus ashei)
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Mr. Smarty Plants, Yesterday, I attended the plant sale at the Wildflower Center. I purchased cupgrass and switchgrass seeds only to discover the grasses may need more water than I am willing to use in the place I originally wanted to plant both. My yard is heavy caliche. I do water my volunteer trees: cedar, escarpment live oak, redbud and some hardwood I have yet to identify. I also intend to plant the Heritage cedar elm I purchased near those trees. Will the grasses grow near or under the trees, especially those blasted cedar trees? (I think a cedar tree killed both one of my and my neighbor's wax myrtles which were planted about 8' from the trunk but not in the shade of the canopy.)ANSWER:
Juniperus ashei (Ashe's juniper) does have allelopathic effects on some plants (e.g., Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) according to Gwen Young and Janis Bush, but competition for water, light and nutrients also play a significant role in reducing the growth of plants beneath juniper trees.Both Eriochloa sericea (Texas cupgrass) and Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) prefer growing in the sun so neither is going to grow well under your juniper or, for that matter, under any tree. According to our information, both grasses require a medium amount of water. You no doubt bought your seeds from Native American Seed at our fall plant sale, so you might like to visit their website to read their planting tips, etc.
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Annual ryegrass and Habiturf from Austin
October 31, 2013 - We've decided to put Habiturf in our freshly cleared back yard that was overgrown with sticky burs and crabgrass, but now that it is fall, would you recommend putting in a cover crop of annual ryegra...
view the full question and answer
Curvularia blight in buffalograss in Kansas
March 05, 2009 - Our buffalo grass is infected with a fungus called curvularia. How can we treat it?
view the full question and answer
Frequency of mowing on native grasses
November 17, 2006 - I live on 5 acres in TX Hill Country. I love the native grasses when they are high and blowing, etc. My husband insists on mowing, claiming that by mowing, the grasses grow more rapidly over the dry...
view the full question and answer
Replacing non-native invasives with native grasses and wildflowers from Round Rock TX
April 04, 2012 - I have a small piece of property (1.5 AC) East of Austin, Texas that get's overgrown with weedy vegetation (johnson grass, dandelion, and some tall yellow flowering plant that I see all over the medi...
view the full question and answer
Native flower bed with part sun
December 05, 2008 - I have recently put in three small flower beds and replaced the hard clay with decent dirt. The site is shaded in the AM but mostly sun in the PM. I would like to plant natives - what can you recommen...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |