Native Plants
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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.
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Friday - March 19, 2010
From: North Richland Hills, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Shrubs, groundcovers, and grasses for shade in North Central Texas
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Updated (2009-10) information about shrubs / ground cover /grasses recommended for North Central Texas - Complete back yard re-landscaping under a lot of trees, shady areas, regular bermuda, St Augustine won't grow.ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants is not sure what you mean by 'updated' unless you are referring to the answers to questions from June 2008 and June 2009. If this is the case, the recommendations in the answers to those questions still stand, but here is an expanded list that was chosen from recommendations in the Wasowski's Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region as well as the Texas-North Central Recommended list from our Recommended Species page. Note: sun = more than 6 hours of sun per day; part shade = 2 to 6 hours ofsun per day; shade = less than 2 hours of sun per day
SHRUBS:
Amorpha fruticosa (desert false indigo) grows in sun and part shade
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry) grows in part shade
Rhus aromatica (fragrant sumac) grows in sun, part shade and shade
Sabal minor (dwarf palmetto) grows in sun, part shade and shade
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus (coralberry) grows in part shade and shade
GROUNDCOVERS:
Asplenium platyneuron (ebony spleenwort) grows in part shade and shade
Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy) grows in sun, part shade and shade
Geum canadense (white avens) grows in part shade and shade
Rivina humilis (rougeplant) grows in part shade
Salvia lyrata (lyreleaf sage) grows in sun, part shade and shade
Packera obovata (roundleaf ragwort) grows in part shade and shade
Viola missouriensis (Missouri violet) grows in part shade and shade
GRASSES/GRASS-LIKE:Carex planostachys (cedar sedge) grows part shade
Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama) grows in sun and part shade
Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats) grows in part shade and shade
Elymus canadensis (Canada wildrye) grows in sun and part shade
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) grows in sun and part shade
Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) grows in sun, part shade and shade
You can see more possibilities by selecting North Central Texas from the map or pull-down menu from our Recommended Species page.
Here are photos of some of the selected species above from our Image Gallery:
More Shade Tolerant Questions
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July 27, 2015 - need a replacement for Love Grass at Shops of Willow Bend in Plano. The entire perimeter of this mall has Bermuda and Love Grass. The Elms and Oaks have grown so the Love Grass is mostly gone. Ther...
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November 08, 2013 - Will the Habiturf grass mentioned here do well in shady areas too?
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October 02, 2012 - I am planning a small rock garden under a large oak tree. I would like a spreading evergreen ground cover that will grow in the shade. Drought-tolerant would be preferred as I live in the high plains...
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