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Tuesday - February 02, 2010

From: Bellville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Low-growing evergreen shrubs for Bellville , TX
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I live north of Bellville, TX and have a 3-tiered retaining wall on the west and north sides of my house. What low growing (around 2' tall) evergreen shrubs would be good to plant here. The west side gets full sun and the north side is very shady most of the day. The area is well drained. Thank you.

ANSWER:

There aren't really any evergreen shrubs native to your area that grow to only 2 feet, but we can suggest some other evergreen plants, at least for the shady areas of your wall. For the sunny areas, there are several evergreen shrubs that grow taller than your preference that would do nicely and, with judicious pruning, you could keep them at a level near 2 feet.

For the shady areas there are several evergreen, or semi-evergreen ferns:

Asplenium platyneuron (ebony spleenwort) part shade, shade and grows to 3 feet and is evergreen.

Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern) grows 1.5 to 2 feet in shade and part shade and is evergreen.

Thelypteris kunthii (Kunth's maiden fern) grows to 3 feet in shade and part shade and is described as semi-evergreen.

Sedges are grass-like and the following three are evergreen and grow to less than 2 feet:

Carex cherokeensis (Cherokee sedge) grows 1 to 1.5 feet in sun and part shade. Here is more information.

Carex blanda (eastern woodland sedge) grows to 1 foot in part shade and shade. Here is more information.

Carex texensis (Texas sedge) grows to 1 foot in sun or part shade. Here is more information.

Here are several evergreen shrubs that should work for your area:

Morella cerifera [Myrica cerifera] (wax myrtle) grows 6 t0 8 feet in sun and part shade. There are dwarf varieties that generally grow to around 3 feet.

Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas barometer bush) 5 to 8 feet in sun or part shade.

Malpighia glabra (wild crapemyrtle) grows 3 to 6 feet in part shade.

Sabal minor (dwarf palmetto) grows 5 to 10 feet in sun, part shade and shade.