Native Plants
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Wednesday - April 21, 2010
From: Driftwood, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native Crimson Clover coming up with bluebonnets in Driftwood TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Is Crimson Clover considered invasive? We have some coming up in our field with our Bluebonnets.ANSWER:
This USDA Natural Resources Consevation Service says that Trifolium incarnatum, Crimson Clover is, indeed, considered to be somewhat invasive. It is also native to Western Asia and Europe, which puts it out of our range of expertise. At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, we are dedicated to the use, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown. This USDA Plant Profile shows that Crimson Clover is growing in Travis County, which means it has probably now moved over into Hays County. You are noticing it more now because, like bluebonnets, it is a member of the Fabaceae, or pea, family, fixes nitrogen in the soil and is a winter annual.
We saw articles praising this plant and recommending planting it because it made a good cover plant during hot weather. Since bluebonnets and Trifolium incarnatum are so similar, even to growing and blooming at the same time, it would be difficult to know how you could eliminate the one and not the other.
Perhaps the Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension Office for Hays County might have some suggestions on dealing with this problem.
More Non-Natives Questions
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April 15, 2012 - Is the weather in Salt Lake City UT good enough to plant a lilac bush root? If not, how long should I wait?
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December 10, 2012 - I have a "Soft Serve False Cypress" Chamaecyparis pisifera'Dow Whiting PPAF, that has only been in the ground for 6-7 months. I just noticed that the branches and leaves are starting to die, turni...
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July 06, 2011 - Bougainvillea-Can I grow these in Beaufort SC?
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Coloration problems with non-native nandinas and queens wreath in Taylor, TX
February 25, 2009 - This year my nandinas are extremely red and my queen's wreath blossoms deepened in color before the first freeze browned them out. What would cause this?
Thank you.
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