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 - June 01, 2011
From: Downingtown, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Turf
Title: Shade plants to replace a lawn in PA
Answered by: Anne Bossart
QUESTION:
Our neighborhood is built into a hill and our backyard is along the slope. We cannot keep grass in the area (except for a few clumps). The area is mostly shaded and moist-dry however when rain comes the hill turns into a river washing away soil. The roots of some of our trees are now exposed and the problem is getting worse. Are there any native ground covers that we can use for a lawn (area where the kids can play without destroying the plants)?ANSWER:
This is a tough situation. Conventional turf grasses will not survive in very shady conditions and the types of ground covers that can take foot traffic also require full sun.
You could consider sedges. They are pretty tough, will grow in the shade and there are quite a few which are native to Pennsylvania such as:
Carex blanda (Eastern woodland sedge)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex plantaginea (Plantainleaf sedge)
They are clump-forming, so you would have to plant many of them to create the sense of a lawn.
Because you are dealing with kids playing, you may have to resort to gravel in the high traffic areas interspersed with plantings of carex and other shade loving plants such as ferns.
To see a complete list of plants native to your area, visit our Native Plant Database and perform a Combination Search for Pennsylvania. Choose the plant type (grass, herbaceous plant, shrub) and shade. The lists of plants generated have links to detailed information pages.
More Turf Questions
Best grass for the shade in Austin, TX.
July 01, 2015 - What is the best grass seed for shade in Austin?
view the full question and answer
Elimination of bermuda grass from St. Augustine lawn
January 04, 2005 - Dear Mr.Smarty Plants,
I am so frustrated with the bermuda grass mixed with St. Augustine grass. I have tried Ortho-B-gone but it did not work. Is there any measure to kill the Bermuda grass but not...
view the full question and answer
New Lawn for a New House in Central Texas
July 11, 2016 - We have a new house with a barren yard. How soon can we successfully plant grass?
view the full question and answer
Calyptocarpus vialis, Horseherb, for shady, mowable lawn
April 06, 2007 - Graham, Texas, Heavily wooded. Too shady for St. Augustine grass. Need mowable ground cover near house. Have heard of something called horsewort, but not able to find anything about it.
view the full question and answer
Alternative for HABITURF® in Contra Costa County, CA
September 17, 2014 - We live in Kensington, just north of Berkeley, in the San Francisco area. We intend to get rid of our water consuming lawn and we are wondering what kind of alternative you would suggest. You don't s...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |