Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
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.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_43.gif)
Thursday - May 01, 2008
From: Murphysboro, IL
Region: Midwest
Topic: Groundcovers, Grasses or Grass-like, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Plants for narrow strip between sidewalk and fence
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have a strip of land about 5 inches wide and 30 feet long -- between the fence and the sidewalk -- that I would like to plant something that would look nice and wouldn't require the weedeater every few days. The location receives full sun for most of the day.ANSWER:
Here are a few suggestions for some low-growing plants that will fit nicely into your area. Some of them may overhang your sidewalk a bit; but, as long as it is relatively wide, they should work nicely. You could use any of them alone or mix them for variety. Also, you can see more possibilities on the Illinois Recommended page.
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Fragaria virginiana (Virginia strawberry)
Coreopsis lanceolata (lanceleaf tickseed)
Geranium maculatum (spotted geranium)
Geum triflorum (old man's whiskers)
Heuchera richardsonii (Richardson's alumroot)
Sisyrinchium campestre (prairie blue-eyed grass)
The following plant prefers shade or part shade so it may or may not work in your strip, but it does make a nice groundcover.
Mitchella repens (partridgeberry)
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Habiturf for Round Rock TX
March 17, 2013 - Topic Habiturf. We have just aerated our lawn. We were planning on throwing out bermudagrass seed. We already have bermudagrass as well as many weeds in the lawn especially the blue stem clump grass w...
view the full question and answer
Native Grasses for Quebec
August 21, 2014 - I saw an article in the Martha Stewart magazine on native grasses. I live in Canada in Rimouski, in the province of Quebec. I am wondering if native grasses would grow here in the region? Our hardine...
view the full question and answer
Recreating a wildflower meadow, central Texas
July 02, 2013 - We have an acre on our property that has bluebonnets. Unfortunately, it also has other plants that we don't want -Johnson grass, nettles, burrs.
We plan to do a controlled burn in the fall and re-...
view the full question and answer
Buffalograss for Mason County, TX
August 19, 2009 - I am interested in planting buffalo grass at a ranch home in between Mason and Fredericksburg, TX. I've read buffalograss doesn't do well in sandy soils, which this area (Hilda, TX) seems to have a ...
view the full question and answer
Identifying native sedges
October 14, 2013 - What's the best way to identify a specific sedge ?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |