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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - October 01, 2009
From: East Wenatchee, WA
Region: Northwest
Topic: Privacy Screening, Shrubs
Title: Dog and kid barrier in East Wenatchee WA
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have about a 8 foot section between my driveway and the neighbor's yard, and their kids and dogs like to run through it! I would like to plant a non-invasive 4-6 foot growing shrub/bush of some sort that stays dense all season, I am in central Washington state, and we can get really cold winters! Thank you!ANSWER:
This was a little tricky, finding an evergreen, dense shrub native to Washington and hardy in Central Washington. Most of Douglas County is USDA Hardiness Zone 6b, with minimum average annual temperatures of -10 to -5 deg. F. Two of these shrubs are a little stickery, we hope none of the childen or dogs get scratched. You might want to consider the fact that these plants will be pretty small when purchased at the nursery, and could get jumped over, or jumped on or run around, possibly damaging the young plants in transit. You didn't say what distance you wanted the barrier to extend, but you might find it expensive buying enough small shrubs to cover this distance, and they won't grow into their mature size for several years. You could consider a small picket fence that would discourage running through without needing soil, pruning, water and fertilizer. These shrubs are evergreen, and all mature to about 3 to 6 feet tall.
Native shrubs for Douglas County, WA
Mahonia aquifolium (hollyleaved barberry) - glossy leaves armed with spiny teeth, blooms yellow March to May, low water use, part shade or shade
Arctostaphylos patula (greenleaf manzanita) - blooms pink April to June, medium water use, sun
Juniperus communis var. depressa (common juniper) - awl-shaped needles form sharp points. More information and pictures.
From the Image Gallery
More Shrubs Questions
Removing Texas cedar Juniperus ashei from Blanco River banks
February 26, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
Should cedar trees be removed from our Blanco River banks to prevent them from sucking too much of our precious water before it makes it into the river system?
If so, what s...
view the full question and answer
Disappointing Fall color from sumac in Dodge City, KS
May 07, 2013 - We have had a fragrant sumac bush growing in our front yard (faces south) for several years. While it is healthy and growing well, we are always disappointed in its lack of bright fall foliage. It d...
view the full question and answer
Converting a Texas backyard to grow Xerophytic native plants
January 09, 2015 - I am planning the conversion of our backyard, about 4000 sq ft of largely St Augustine, into a grassless landscape of hardscaping and native plants. I’ve been an avid gardener of rock garden plants i...
view the full question and answer
Plants for under a fountain splash line in California
January 29, 2009 - What plants should we plant under our fountain's splash line in our Mediterranean style courtyard? The area will get wet from the fountain's splashing and have "full" sun. We are on a rock ridge...
view the full question and answer
Native border plants to stop erosion
February 18, 2015 - I need native border plants to assist in stopping soil erosion due to water run off from rain and the Catawba River.
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |