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 - May 13, 2005
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Native, durable, drought tolerant grasses for Amarillo, TX
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Are there any kinds of native grasses that are drought tolerant, durable and able to survive heavy foot traffic, and native to the Amarillo, Texas area?ANSWER:
Buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides) meets all your criteria except "heavy" foot traffic. It is, however, durable and will tolerate "moderate" foot traffic. It also requires lots of sunshine and does not do well in too much shade. Buffalo grass is drought tolerant, requires little maintenance (mowing once or twice a year), and can be started from seed, from "plugs", or installed as sod. You can read more about creating a native lawn using buffalo grass in "Native Lawns" from the Native Plant Library. This article is a 3-page PDF-formatted article that you can download. You can search for Nurseries or Seed Companies in Texas that specialize in native grasses and wildflowers by visiting the National Suppliers Directory.More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Hardy plants for a narrow yard in Illinois
July 28, 2008 - I have an area in my yard that is approx 35 feet by 5 feet that is shaded on the east by a 4 ft fence and on the west by the house and above by trees. It slopes off to the neighbors yard (so doesn't ...
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Trimming of native Muhlenbergia dumosa (Bamboo grass)
January 27, 2008 - Should Muhlenbergia dumosa (Bamboo grass) be cut down in a similar fashion to other perennial grasses that go dormant in the winter.
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Plants for a sunny, sandy site in Central Texas
January 22, 2015 - I live between La Grange and Schulenburg, Texas. My soil is sandy. Full sun, no trees. I am a senior citizen with limited funds who is allergic to Rye and Bermuda grass. I tried planting a lawn of...
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Established Habiturf in the DFW area from Allen TX
May 15, 2012 - Where can I see an established Habiturf in the DFW area? There are two sites that are obviously DFW (White Rock Lake and Round Rock) mentioned in Ask Mr Smartyplants, but no addresses. If no sites ar...
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Retention ponds for states in southeast, from Greenville SC
July 14, 2012 - We provide maintenance for Stormwater detention ponds and are looking for native grasses to plant in the bottom and sides of typically dry detention basins. Prefer low growing grasses that spread to...
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