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
Friday - July 25, 2014
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Drought Tolerant, Shade Tolerant, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs
Title: Plants for a Austin thicket underlayer
Answered by: Larry Larson
QUESTION:
We live in Austin, west of 183. We are planning to put a thicket in our backyard, where there is no threat of deer. Anchoring the thicket are a clump of live oaks, a Texas persimmon, an Eve's Necklace and a Texas kidneywood. We're ready for the next layer. So far, we know we want elbow bush and were thinking about American beautyberry, but realize that probably wants more water than we get. The purpose of the thicket is to attract and provide shelter for pollinators. Any suggestions about the middle layer? Thank you.ANSWER:
Here’s the Wildflower Center record for your established plants:
Quercus fusiformis (Escarpment live oak), Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon) (10-35 ft.), Styphnolobium affine (Eve's necklace) (15-30 ft.), Eysenhardtia texana (Texas kidneywood), ( 3-10 ft.) All of them prefer dry soil and full sun, or at least partial shade.
and your proposed plants:
Forestiera pubescens (Stretchberry) - shrub 5-10 ft - - exists well in any soil moisture and any degree of sun or shade.
Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry) - - shrub 3-6 feet - - needs partial shade and moist soil, so I think your analysis is correct. Beautyberry doesn't fit well with the characteristics of your established plants.
What would I suggest for the middle layer? To form my suggestions, I use the “Recommended Species” lists that the Wildflower Center maintains. This is a link to the Texas-Central Collection.
Then, on the left hand side of the screen, there are options to reduce the selection based on various characteristics. As this is for your underlayer – I chose sun or partial shade, and 1-3 and 3-6 feet.
For shrubs, this resulted in 18 candidates. One has to actually read the plant record for its BENEFIT to see if it provides nesting material or pollen for pollinators. It seems most of the low native plants are attractive to pollinators. Here are a few of those to consider.
Shrubs:
Ageratina havanensis (Shrubby boneset)
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii (Flame acanthus)
Chrysactinia mexicana (Damianita)
Dalea frutescens (Black dalea)
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (Turk's cap or turkscap)
Salvia greggii (Autumn sage)
And for Herbs I found 49 candidates, here are 6 of the first that have benefit for pollinators:
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine)
Asclepias asperula (Spider milkweed)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterflyweed)
Chamaecrista fasciculata var. fasciculata (Partridge pea)
Conoclinium coelestinum (Blue mistflower)
Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower)
From the Image Gallery
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
Low, Easy Care Perennials for Lake Ontario Shore Planting
October 04, 2015 - I'm on Lake Ontario in New York. I have a lake bank slope, that’s about 1/8 mile long and about 40 feet high, and is on about a 40 degree angle. It is very hard to keep clear. The bank has just been ...
view the full question and answer
Perennial for cemetery plot in Massachusetts
August 03, 2010 - What perennial would work well in a cemetery plot that has very dry sun?
view the full question and answer
White and Violet Flower in Missouri
March 17, 2016 - When I was small I came into contact with a plant that gave me cold sweats, chills and hallucinations. All I remember was it bore a single flower with a little white and a lot of violet. It had a dark...
view the full question and answer
Native perennials for Ft. Worth TX
March 17, 2013 - Mr. Smarty Pants,
I have two large planters around the back side of my saltwater pool where there is no decking. (sloped landscape) 8'long x 3' wide. I need low growing perennial plants that will ...
view the full question and answer
Bird-friendly plants for the Texas coast
July 13, 2012 - I'm interested in starting a native plant garden, specifically with an eye towards providing food (either from the plants or insects that are attracted to the plants) for migratory birds. However, s...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |