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Writer's pictureMary Reed

Friday, May 8, 2020 – Name That Shrub


There is a lot of landscaping on the trails I walk, including many different kinds of shrubs.


Here are a few according to Texas SmartScape™, a program of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Regional Stormwater Management Coordinating Council:


Confetti Abelia

A compact, rounded shrub with pink, white, and green variegated foliage.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Medium

· Landscape Use: Border - Mixed, Fragrance, Container, Fragrance, Salt Tolerant, Deer Resistant

· Wildlife Value: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

· Season: Summer, Spring

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright, Rounded

· Plant Spread: 3'

· Plant Height: 3'

Whale’s Tongue Agave

Very cold hardy agave (to 0 degrees Fahrenheit). Wide powder-blue leaves. No offsets. Strong architectural element.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Very Low

· Landscape Use: Rock Garden, Focal Point/Specimen Plant, Deer Resistant, Salt Tolerant

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 4'

· Plant Height: 3'




American Beautyberry

Beautiful purple berries in fall and winter. White-berried variety also available.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

· Water Demand: Low, Medium

· Landscape Use: Focal Point/Specimen Plant, Salt Tolerant, Border - Mixed

· Native/Adapted: Native

· Wildlife Value: Birds

· Season: Summer

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

· Plant Form: Upright, Weeping

· Plant Spread: 5'-8'

· Plant Height: 4'-8'

Barberry

Must have sun to develop crimson color. Thorny.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun

· Water Demand: Medium

· Landscape Use: Border - Mixed, Salt Tolerant, Deer Resistant

· Wildlife Value: Birds, Butterflies

· Season: Summer

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

· Plant Form: Spreading

· Plant Spread: 3'

· Plant Height: 2'

Bridal Wreath Spirea

Very durable shrub. Great for cutting gardens.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Low, Medium

· Landscape Use: Border - Mixed, Deer Resistant

· Wildlife Value: Hummingbirds, Butterflies

· Season: Spring

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 6'

· Plant Height: 6'

Dwarf Nandina

Low-growing and compact. Excellent fall and winter color. Be sure to select a non-berrying/non-fruiting variety. Some excellent selections are Gulf Stream, Sienna Sunrise, Moonbay and Filamentosa or San Gabriel.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

· Water Demand: Low

· Landscape Use: Salt Tolerant, Border - Mixed, Deer Resistant

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 3'-4'

· Plant Height: 3'-4'

Dwarf Burford Holly

An excellent medium-size holly with shiny dark green leaves and red berries in fall.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

· Water Demand: Medium

· Landscape Use: Hedge, Border - Mixed

· Wildlife Value: Birds

· Season: Spring

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 3'-5'

· Plant Height: 3'-5'

Dwarf Palmetto

This very slow-growing, ground-hugging, rugged palm produces pale green or bluish fan-like leaves atop spineless stems. Although this plant grows natively in areas of high to moderate moisture, once it is established in a garden setting, it is fairly drought tolerant. Its BB-sized fruits are edible and taste like dates.

· Light Requirement: Partial Shade, Full Shade

· Water Demand: Medium

· Landscape Use: Screen - Visual, Container, Border - Mixed

· Native/Adapted: Native

· Wildlife Value: Birds

· Season: Spring

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Bushy

· Plant Spread: 4'

· Plant Height: 4'

Dwarf Wax Myrtle

A delightful smaller version of the tree form wax myrtle. Leaves are aromatic and berries are pale blue. Makes a nice hedge.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

· Water Demand: Medium

· Landscape Use: Border - Mixed, Hedge, Salt Tolerant

· Native/Adapted: Native

· Wildlife Value: Birds

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 4'

· Plant Height: 4'

Elaeagnus

Gray-green foliage with a fragrant bloom in fall. Long, arching stems. Very durable. Can be used as a screen or backdrop. Ebbingei is a more upright variety that is spineless.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Low

· Landscape Use: Hedge, Screen - Visual, Border - Mixed, Deer Resistant, Salt Tolerant

· Wildlife Value: Birds

· Season: Fall

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright, Spreading

· Plant Spread: 6'-7'

· Plant Height: 6'-7'

Flowering Quince

One of the first to bloom in the spring. Good for cut flowers. Texas Scarlet is the most heat tolerant.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Low

· Landscape Use: Salt Tolerant, Border - Mixed

· Ornamental Value: Pink, White, Red

· Wildlife Value: Birds

· Season: Winter, Spring

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

· Plant Form: Bushy

· Plant Spread: 6'

· Plant Height: 4'

Hypericum

Attractive foliage and yellow flowers. Needs good drainage.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

· Water Demand: Medium

· Landscape Use: Border - Mixed, Deer Resistant

· Wildlife Value: Butterflies, Bees, Hummingbirds

· Season: Spring, Summer

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 3'

· Plant Height: 3'

Italian Jasmine

Graceful, arching form. Easy to grow. Very hardy. A beautiful spreading shrub.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Low

· Landscape Use: Border - Mixed, Screen - Visual, Deer Resistant

· Wildlife Value: Bees, Hummingbirds

· Season: Spring, Summer

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright, Spreading

· Plant Spread: 5'

· Plant Height: 4'

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Wonderful huge, coarse leaves and large flower spikes. Orange-red to purple fall color. Beautiful flaking cinnamon bark. Some great selections are Snowflake, Snow Queen, and Alice.

· Light Requirement: Full Shade, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Medium

· Landscape Use: Focal Point/Specimen Plant, Hedge, Screen - Visual, Border · Season: Spring

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 6'

· Plant Height: 6'

Standard Nandina

Delicate bamboo-like foliage. Red berries in winter. Excellent accent shrub. Suckers easily if well watered. Birds may spread seeds, leading to invasive behavior.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade

· Water Demand: Low

· Landscape Use: Screen - Visual, Salt Tolerant, Deer Resistant, Border - Mixed

· Wildlife Value: Birds

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 5'-6'

· Plant Height: 6'-7'

Green Cloud Texas Sage

One of the largest and fastest growing Texas sages. Rich green leaves with rose-pink flowers. More tolerant of poor drainage and heavier soils than other Texas sages. Cold hardy to five degrees Fahrenheit.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Low

· Landscape Use: Border - Mixed, Rock Garden, Screen - Visual, Deer Resistant, Salt Tolerant

· Wildlife Value: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

· Season: Summer, Fall

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 6'

· Plant Height: 6'

Winter/Bush Honeysuckle

Has fragrant blooms during the winter when almost all other plants are not flowering. Large arching or cascading growth habit.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Low

· Landscape Use: Border - Edge, Screen - Physical

· Wildlife Value: Birds, Butterflies

· Season: Winter

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Bushy

· Plant Spread: 10'

· Plant Height: 15'

Twist-Leaf Yucca

Narrow olive-green leaves twist as they grow. Margins of leaves may be yellow, orange, or red. Flower stalk grows to five feet tall. Grows well in rocky soils.

· Light Requirement: Full Sun, Partial Shade

· Water Demand: Low

· Landscape Use: Rock Garden, Container, Deer Resistant, Salt Tolerant

· Native/Adapted: Native

· Season: Spring

· Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen

· Plant Form: Upright

· Plant Spread: 2'

· Plant Height: 2'

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