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)
Friday - July 24, 2015
From: Wichita Falls, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Drought Tolerant, Shade Tolerant
Title: Drought and Shade tolerant plants for Wichita Falls, TX
Answered by: Larry Larson
QUESTION:
I can find lots of information about planting drought tolerant, sun loving native plants, a number of which I've planted over the years. But I can find very little information about drought tolerant plants for areas of my garden that receive shade during at least 90% of the day during the summer. Can you provide me with some shade loving perennials that will last through the summer in the hot and dry climate of north Texas? Thanks!ANSWER:
Wow – That’s a challenge! Plants that like no sun, no water and are perennial to boot!
I checked with the Special Collections and a few plants came up, so that’s a good start. The first collection I came across was Drought Resistant Plants for Texas and Beyond.
These are searchable and when I selected Light Requirement: “Shade – 2 hrs of less” and Soil Moisture: “Dry –no signs of moisture” – 4 plants still remained. They are Forestiera pubescens (Stretchberry), Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (Turk's cap or turkscap), Ptelea trifoliata (Wafer ash) and Ruellia occidentalis (Western wild petunia). All are perennials.
Another list that would apply to Wichita Falls is Texas-North Central Recommended. Doing the same search on that yielded:
Trees: Fraxinus americana (White ash), Juniperus virginiana (Eastern red cedar), and Quercus macrocarpa (Bur oak),
Shrubs: Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon), Rhus aromatica (Fragrant sumac), Salvia regla (Mountain sage),
Herbs: Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine), Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed susan), Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) [grass]
Just for completeness, I also looked over the previous Mr Smarty Plants questions and responses. You’re right, there are very few, and those that I found used pretty much the same method but applied to areas pretty far from you.
From the Image Gallery
More Drought Tolerant Questions
Replacing Drought-Stricken Cedars
January 16, 2012 - Hello, I live in Williamson County on a couple acres. We have several dead cedars as a result of drought; we're reluctant to cut them down because many of them provide a friendly barrier between us...
view the full question and answer
Dormancy in Pin Oaks without water in Del Rio, TX
August 02, 2011 - Can Pin Oak trees go dormant without enough water? If so how long can they live that way? Can they be brought back to producing leaves? If yes, then what do I need to do besides giving them water. I d...
view the full question and answer
Deer resistant, drought- and shade-tolerant plant for Pennsylvania
August 14, 2012 - Hello,
I need a deer/drought resistant, shade tolerant, rocky soil perennial. I would like it to have some winter appeal. I live outside of Philadelphia, PA.
Thank you so much for your time...
view the full question and answer
Drought-tolerant turf for Southern California
April 23, 2015 - Is it possible to grow Habiturf in Riverside, California, in the area of UC Riverside? The climate is similar to the desert areas or Arizona, just slightly cooler in the Summer. If not, is there a d...
view the full question and answer
Restoring fire damage in Bastrop TX
November 03, 2011 - I live in the Bastrop State Park area. We were severely affected by the wildfire and as we are trying to rebuild our home, we are being very aware of the particularities of the recovery process. We lo...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |