Help me pick natives for this spot

12 years ago

Looking for advice on what to plant in a particular area this spring (pic below). The area is the patch of grass on the path leading up to the driveway.

I've had some drainage issues with sand from the patio washing away whenever it rained, so I planted sod there last summer as a temporary fix. Now that that's established, I want to integrate plugs this spring so they'll eventually take over the area.

It was built to be driveable, but I haven't driven on it in over a year and don't plan to. My first though was some Anemone canadensis with some low growing native grasses and sedges mixed in. I'm sure this will include random low-growing flowers I pick up at native plant sales as well.

The area gets full sun in the morning to early afternoon and then shade later on. I would like it to take water in heavy rains. To prep it last year, I dug down about a foot, added a layer of gravel and filled the rest in with topsoil and organic mulch/compost. As with any of my landscaping, the goals are native and beneficial to wildlife. Thanks for any suggestions. (the pics, in order, are of this May, Sept, then Dec).

Comments (11)

fatamorgana2121
12 years ago
Prairie Moon Nursery has a cultural guide to the plants it sells that includes info on sun/requirements as well as moisture. It might be very helpful in finding plants that like a sunny place that I'm assuming is dry/very well-drained.

I think the short height combined with the sunny/dry location will cut down the list considerably. But perhaps pearly everlasting or pussytoes might work.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Prairie Moon Cultural Guide
viburnumvalley
12 years ago
You can never have enough Carex sp. - that is, after you've filled up on Viburnum...

Many many sedges can tolerate wet/dry seasonal conditions. I don't know where you live/garden - other than zone - or I'd offer some species names that could work just fine in that spot.
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I like the Native Musclewood personally. Also some of the native hollies (i.e. Ilex decidua, but don't know if it's native there or near there) are important for late winter food for the birds. Chalk Maple Acer luecoderme would probable work well, doesn't mind increasing shade either. However small seedlings are likely all you will be able to find. American Smoke Tree Cotinus obovatus if the site is on the dry side. They do need GOOD drainage. American Fringe tree Chionanthus virginicus. These are rather impressive in flower. Shrubwise, look at maybe Beautyberry Callicarpa americana, though you MIGHT be a bit cold for those, depending upon winter temps and snow cover. I'm sure there are more. They are native here in 6b, but we are on the north end of their range. That off the top of my head for natives, or at least native to the US that would likely fit well with feeding the wildlife. Arktrees
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c2g
Original Author
12 years ago
I live in Philadelphia. Zone 6. PS - I planted 3 viburnum last year.
Lynda Waldrep
12 years ago
Many native carex are evergreen and as stated above, can take wet or dry but, in my area, need some shade. Luzulas can take the sun down here.

C plantaginea is my favorite; the clumps continue to increase in size over the years. In the wild I have found it streamside, but it tolerates dry here...with shade. C. platyphylla is also great.

C. pensylvanica, C. appalachica, C. cherokeensis are "fluffier" ones that I have in containers, but they haven't been evergreen for me.
carol23_gw
12 years ago
I had thoughts of a rock garden area with Allium, Sedums, and some smaller types of grasses and sedges.
Lynda Waldrep
12 years ago
I am only familiar with Sedum ternatum, but you have to make sure you keep leaves, etc., off it or you will lose it, as I have done several times. The sun ferns such as Cheilanthes lanosa do well in rock gardens as do some of the Carexes or sedges. The alliums die back too quickly for me to appreciate them.

You need to check out the North American Rock Garden Society. They have lots of suggestions, both native and other sources, if you are considering that type of gardening.

Here is a link that might be useful: North American Rock Garden Society
terrene
12 years ago
Hi c2g, your front garden is looking very nice. In the front SW corner of my lot is a xeric garden where I grow drought tolerant, lower profile natives and some non-natives such as Iris, Daylilies, and Lupine.

Two of the natives that grow there might look good in your driveway strip: Asclepias tuberosa (orange milkweed or butterfly weed) and Sporobolis heterolepis (prairie drop seed). They get about 18" high and offer many wildlife benefits. You could intersperse them with lower growing plants for a more dynamic effect.
harpy2
12 years ago
What a pretty house! And how lovely your stone driveway looks even now.
This is my first posting, and I'm too new at this to hand out advice.

But I wanted to say how I love this site and how generous people are with knowledge and willingness to take an interest in other people's needs.
c2g
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for all the great advice and compliments! Terrene, I think I'm going to give your suggestion a try. I have butterfly weed in a few spots already, but I think that with the dropseed would be the look I'm going for in that area. I'm going to work in the rock garden suggestions in little areas further back in the driveway. I just wanted to go with something fuller in that area to break up the stone and take up the rainwater, and I always err on the side of butterfiles.
terrene
12 years ago
Well those 2 plants are exceptionally drought-tolerant, so I don't know about the taking up rainwater part. But we get a lot of rain here and they don't seem to mind the extra water, as long as there is good drainage. Which I definitely have, since the soil in this area is sandy loam with a deep sand/gravel subsoil.
Jason53
12 years ago
Love the look of your yard, especially the dry stream bed. Some other good low-growing plants to consider:

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum). Forms a ground cover, unique pink early spring flowers, about 6-12" tall.
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria canadensis). Also a good ground cover, about 6" tall, white flowers in spring and tiny edible fruits (not worth eating though, I leave them for the birds).
Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis). Lavender flowers in summer, about 12".

All these are fairly drought tolerant. If this is a dryish site, you might want to reconsider the Canada Anemone - I think it prefers moist soil.

Help me pick natives for this spot

Comments (11)

fatamorgana2121

viburnumvalley

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