Native Plants

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Thursday - August 20, 2009

From: Gallatin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Grass for family cemetery in Gallatin TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Recently, we made a family cemetery, and are now trying to find a type of grass that will make a healthy lawn for it. What would be an appropriate species to plant here?

ANSWER:

Are you really looking for a lawn, which needs mowing and watering, or for an attractive and low-maintenance ground cover? Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss), which doesn't appear to grow as far east in Texas as Cherokee County, is a widely used native grass for low watering situations. For more information on low-maintenance native grasses and other plants, please read out How-to Article on Native Lawns. We would also like to suggest you consider a wildflower meadow, with both native grasses and native wildflowers. This would be a lovely setting for a country family cemetery. It just so happens we also have an How-To Article on Meadow Gardening.

For the time being, however, you asked for grasses, and we will give you a list of grasses native to East Texas, some for sun (6 hours or more of sun), some for part shade (2 to 6 hours of shade) and some for shade (less than 2 hours of sun a day). There are some sedges that are a possibility if you are interested in something that can be mowed, but others will be ornamental, holding their place year-round and needing only cutting back to about 6 inches tall in early Spring.

Sedges for Cherokee County, TX

Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge) - evergreen, 1 to 3 ft. tall, high water use, sun, part shade or shade

Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge) - 12 to 18 inches tall, medium water use, part shade

Carex texensis (Texas sedge) - 10 to 12 inches tall, medium water use, sun or part shade

Grasses for Cherokee County, TX

Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) - 4 to 8 ft. tall, medium water use, sun or part shade

Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama) - 1 to 3 ft., medium water use, sun or part shade

Chasmanthium latifolium (Inland sea oats) - 2 to 4 ft. tall, medium water use, part shade or shade

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) - 18 to 24 inches tall, low water use, sun or part shade

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) - 3 to 8 ft. tall, medium water use, sun, part shade or shade

Carex blanda

Carex cherokeensis

Carex texensis

Andropogon gerardii

Bouteloua curtipendula

Chasmanthium latifolium

Schizachyrium scoparium