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_21.gif)
Saturday - January 24, 2009
From: Dublin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Groundcovers
Title: Ground cover for North Central Texas
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I live in north central Texas. My backyard has very fine, powdery sand soil. The previous owners of the property let the grass die out and now every time it gets windy, the sand gets into our patio and in our window panes. What is the best ground cover for this area. The area is about 3,000 sq ft. I also have two medium outdoor dogs. I'm open to anything that will keep the dust down. Thanks DarinANSWER:
If most of your lawn is in the sun, then your best bet is Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss). It is a low-growing turf grass that requires infrequent mowing and very little water after it is established. Once it is established, its fibrous root system will anchor the soil and prevent sand blowing into your area. It does well in the sun, but not so well in shade. Please read our HOW TO ARTICLE, Native Lawns: Buffalograss, for more information on establishing a buffalograss lawn. You can combine the buffalograss with another low-growing grass, Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama). Native American Seeds in Junction offers a mixture of the two, Native Sun Turfgrass, for sale. They also have a useful article, Planting Tips for Native Grasses, on their website.Sedges (Carex spp.) also make good groundcovers. They are generally low-growing and some are evergreen. For information about using sedges as a groundcover lawn, please read Sedge Lawns for Every Landscape by John Greenlee. Here are a few recommended sedges:
Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge)
Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge)
Carex planostachys (cedar sedge)
Here are some other low-growing plants that could also be used in your area as groundcover along with, or instead of, the grasses and sedges:
Artemisia ludoviciana (white sagebrush)
Asplenium platyneuron (ebony spleenwort) for shady areas
Calyptocarpus vialis (straggler daisy)
Phyla nodiflora (turkey tangle fogfruit)
More Groundcovers Questions
Removing St. Augustine for natives in Grapevine TX
September 29, 2012 - We have St Augustine in our yard and we hate it. It guzzles water, we have to cut it often, and it's thick and hard to work with.
Anyway, we want to replace it with a combination of some kind of g...
view the full question and answer
Splash-proof plants from Oakton VA
October 01, 2012 - Hi Mr Smarty Plants,
Re: low, evergreen ground cover, Northern Virginia
The bare soil around my freshly painted screen porch splashes up onto the white framing when it rains so I am looking for ...
view the full question and answer
Grasses for Erosion control in Iowa
September 27, 2012 - We have a sloping yard in the midwest that gets 2-4 hours of sun during the warm weather. When we have large rainfalls, the water just pours down the slope causing a lot of erosion to the surrounding ...
view the full question and answer
Groundcover for rock garden under large oak
October 02, 2012 - I am planning a small rock garden under a large oak tree. I would like a spreading evergreen ground cover that will grow in the shade. Drought-tolerant would be preferred as I live in the high plains...
view the full question and answer
Restoring the woods in Central Austin.
May 08, 2012 - I live in Austin, south central between Red Bud trail close to the low water bridge and Bee Caves road. My question: I want to make the wooded sections of my yard attractive. They have filtered sun...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |