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.
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.
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Tuesday - March 31, 2015
From: Cedar Creek, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Privacy Screening, Shrubs, Trees
Title: Need plants to provide a privacy screen in Cedar Creek, TX
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
We need to screen out neighbor's house. What can we plant (fast growing tree or hedge) in partial shade? Area is dry in summer, but does get soggy during heavy rain. We live east of Austin in Cedar Creek.ANSWER:
Lets try a two-pronged approach, and start by going to the NPIN Database to come up with a list of plants. Using the Combination Search feature, Select Texas under state, Shrub under habit, and Perennial under Duration. Check Partial shade under Light Requirement, Dry under Soil Moisture, and 12 - 36 ft under Height. Click the Submit combination search Buton and you will get a list of 11 plants that meet these criteria. Clicking on the Scientific name of each plant will bring up its NPIN page that has the characteristics of the plant, its growing conditions, and in most cases images. Redo the search, this time selecting Tree under Habit, and your list will expand to 57. As you look at the choices, try to match up the plant with your growing conditions.
The second approach is to look at Previously Answered questions regarding privacy screening. I’ve selected several questions from Central Texas for you to consider. Click on the links below to get more information about plants that can be used for screens. Some of the links have additional links for you to explore.
More Privacy Screening Questions
Evergreen for privacy screen in San Antonio
April 30, 2012 - I am looking to plant native fast-growing evergreens that will provide privacy (growing taller than our fence). We live in San Antonio and the Red Tip Photinia seems to be everywhere! I heard that t...
view the full question and answer
Looking for tree to absorb sound from neighbor's pool
August 09, 2012 - Our neighbors have put in a new pool with a harmonic pitch sound which resonates in my home. We have tried rubber mats and foam on the fence. Nothing is working. My pool guy suggested trees as the ...
view the full question and answer
Privacy Screening Plant for New York Narrow Site
April 20, 2013 - I need privacy screening on the side of my house in Mount Kisco, New York located 40 miles north of New York City. The area gets plenty of sun but is somewhat narrow. What evergreen bushes or trees ...
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Drought-tolerant shrub for privacy screen
November 23, 2007 - Is there some kind of drought resistant bush or thorny plant we can rim our property with to stop all the foot traffic through our yard? We don't care if it's pretty, just something thick and/or th...
view the full question and answer
Need to know how to plant trees to create a windbreak in Ashburn, VA.
May 06, 2010 - I want to know how to plant trees to create windbreaks. I live on a slope of a hill, the front of the house is steep and the back of the house has neighbors in a cul de sac. I swear I live in a wind...
view the full question and answer
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