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.
rate this answer
Saturday - March 17, 2012
From: Corpus Christi, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Purchase sources of Buffalograss from Corpus Christi TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I've heard a lot of good things about Buffalograss, but no one in my area seems to carry it. One grower actually told me it didn't grow well here and recommended St. Augustine Floratam instead. Is he just trying to make a sale, or is the Floratam a better grass for this area?ANSWER:
In our How-To Articles we have articles written by experts here at the Wildflower Center, home of Mr. Smarty Plants. We want to refer you to these articles, which should tell you how some of the native grasses do in various parts of the state, and what their sunlight and shade requirements are.
As a side note, we cannot make recommendations on the St. Augustine Floratam. St. Augustine is not native to North America and is a water guzzler of the first order. With drought and heat a frequent condition in Texas, we are recommending native, low water use grasses to be used wherever conditions are appropriate. Most of them need more sun than St. Augustine, but much less water.
Native Lawns: Habiturf - the Ecological Lawn Under "Frequently Asked Questions" on this website are links to two suppliers of this seed.
Whether it will do well in Corpus Christi, we don't know, not being familiar with the amount of sun you have on your propety; however, both of the seed suppliers we have referred you to should be able to help you with that. Here is the page from the online catalog of Native American Seed on Buffalograss.
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Grass for shady area
June 21, 2011 - I need to find a grass that can grow in a shady area, with some sun. Drought resistant and preferably native to the area. Would like to find a sod if possible. I know it's not a great time to plant n...
view the full question and answer
Indian Paintbrush outnumbering our Bluebonnets this year.
May 26, 2015 - We noticed we have more Indian paintbrush than bluebonnets in our front yard this year. Our issue is we also have more spear grass than normal. Is there a way to control this grass without killing th...
view the full question and answer
Cork Screw Rush doesn't spiral in Whitehall, PA.
April 29, 2016 - Why won't the stems on my cork screw rush plant twist and/or spiral? It's planted outside. It was twisting and spirally when I planted it. Growing outside the past 4 years but does not twist or curl l...
view the full question and answer
Mowing frequency of native lawn from Georgetown TX
August 18, 2012 - I have a native grass and wildflower lawn. At what frequency and when should the lawn be mowed?
view the full question and answer
Questions on non-native St. Augustine from Austin
October 15, 2013 - I have St. Augustine grass in my yard. I am having work done in my yard soon, which will require new sod. I know the St. Augustine has to take root in the ground before the first freeze, to assure t...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |