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.
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Thursday - April 10, 2014
From: Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Drought Tolerant, Groundcovers, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Replacing St. Augustine grass from Dallas TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Dear Mr. Pants, we are replacing dying St. Augustine grass in a small, sunny back yard with ground cover. What are your recommendations for a drought-tolerant evergreen ground cover? We will till and amend the soil. Thanks!ANSWER:
Please, please, please - Plants with an "L", thank you.
Frankly, we are not sorry your non-native St. Augustine is dying. In drought plagued Texas and the Southwest, water guzzlers like St. Augustine are a problem. Since you are in Dallas and have a sunny lawn area, allow us to introduce you to Habiturf.
First, is this a good grass for North Central Texas? Read his previous question from Grand Prairie.
From another previous Mr. Smarty Plants answer:
"Since Habiturf was developed right here at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (home of Mr. Smarty Plants) we certainly recommend Habiturf, and have extensive material on it to answer your questions. Please follow this link: Habiturf The Ecological Lawn and any other links in that answer. Be sure and pay attention to the information on preparing the site for your Habiturf, as that will involve removing unwanted plants and improving the soil quality. We hope you will be very happy with this water-conserving grass."
We recommend you read all the material in the links above, particularly noting the part about developing the soil. Now is a good time to get going, get it planted and we hope you are very happy with it.
More Non-Natives Questions
Vine Choices Scarce in Beaverton Oregon
June 08, 2012 - Hi,
I am looking for a hearty vine that we could use to cling to and cover a cement wall that is about 8 feet tall and 30 feet long. It is on the south side of our house but never gets direct sunli...
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Native and non-native Wandering Jew and Four o Clocks
October 10, 2005 - I am looking for information on 2 separate plants in my yard. The names that people have given me on what they are is as follows:
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Strange produce from non-native lemon seed in Houma LA
April 03, 2010 - I grow a lemon tree from a seed. I grafted it from the same tree a year or so later. It is 15 years old and it only produce one year. The question is, the year it produce, the fruit was a pink grap...
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Care of non-native Navel Orange tree
January 27, 2008 - What kind of care does a Navel Orange tree need? Mine looks really bad this year, not much fruit and small fruit.
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Identity of rubbery-looking tree with long green thorns
March 21, 2012 - I am trying to identify a tree that has a green rubbery look with long, sharp, green thorns. This tree is on my property in Conroe, TX and the soil type is Gladwater clay frequently flooded.
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