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 - February 06, 2013
From: Glen Rose, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Privacy Screening, Shrubs
Title: Hiding a chicken house from Glen Rose TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
To hide a chicken house, which do you recommend, crape myrtles or chinese photinias?ANSWER:
First, here is a previous Smarty Plants answer that tells you what we think of photinia. What we think is "don't do it."
Second, another previous Smarty Plants answer that discusses the also non-native Lagerstroemia indica (Crape Myrtle).
Since we explained in both those previous answers why we don't recommend non-native plants, we will go to our Native Plant Database and find some shrubs native to your area in Somervell County, TX. Following that link to our database and using the Combination Search, we will select on "Texas" for the state, "shrub" for Habit or General Appearance and "evergreen" for duration, so you will have coverage year-round.
Our highest recommenation would go to Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon). It is a tough evergreen shrub which will remain fairly dense year-round.
Two more that we would also recommend but might be slightly out of their native range in Sommervell County are Leucophyllum frutescens (Cenizo) and Morella cerifera (Wax myrtle).
Follow each link to our webpage on that plant, read growing conditions, light requirements, soil and water needs. Woody plants, such as trees and shrubs should be planted in late fall or winter, before the sizzling heat of summer comes along.
From the Image Gallery
More Shrubs Questions
Non-native and/or hybridized shrubs in Pittsburg PA
May 17, 2011 - I planted 2 boulevard cypress pom pom trees last year in my front yard in the clay conditioned soil. We dug the tree holds according to the planting instruction and filled some sand in the bottom for ...
view the full question and answer
Problems with blueberries from Kernersville NC
April 29, 2012 - My blueberry plants have no leaves or scrawny ones. I have 13 plants, 5 of them are like this.
view the full question and answer
Native shrubs for privacy hedge in Lockhart, TX
December 21, 2008 - I will be retiring from the US Army to Lockhart, Texas in March. We have a small house with a 6' security fence. I have always been an advocate of Hedges for security, sound dampening and wildlife ...
view the full question and answer
Hillside Erosion in Pace FL
July 17, 2015 - I have a hillside that slopes down about 10 feet to a spring fed pond. The pond drains into Escambia Bay. We have 2 dams with culverts to control the flow of water. Last year during a torrential ra...
view the full question and answer
Living fence of native plants for Ojai, CA
September 20, 2008 - I would like to build a "green fence" about 10-15 feet tall. I live in Ojai, CA where we have VERY hot summers and it goes below freezing every winter. The soil does not seem to drain well..it is e...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |