Plant List Lori Najvar/Glen Chappell shade garden

Landscape designer: Leah Churner, Delta Dawn Gardens
and Holly Gardovsky

This is a partial list! These are plants in clay soil, mixed with rock, that tolerate shade and even more sun as live oak trees are limbed up (some further “pruned” after February 2023’s ice storm).

BULBS
Various springtime bulbs including Leucojum, pass-a-long narcissus
Amaryllis (spring/early summer)
Rain lilies (various bloom times, generally after rains)

EVERGREEN
Ajuga reptans: spring flowering, may go dormant in summer
Bearded iris
Euphorbia rigida
Giant liriope
Nolina texana (native succulent)
Purple skullcap (Scutellaria wrightii): summer/fall flowers
Sedges (native) including ‘Webberville’
Twistleaf Yucca (Yucca rupicola)
Wood Fern, also called Southern Shield Fern (Thelypteris kunthii): native
Yarrow (Achillea milliefolium): native, spring flowers

GROUNDCOVERS
Blue shade ruellia (Ruellia squarrosa): summer blooms on 6” tall plants
Gregg’s mistflower (Conoclinium greggii): native spring-fall flowering, often winter dormant
Heartleaf skullcap: native summer dormant, late spring flowers
Sedges, various
Soft hair marbleseed (Onosmodium bejariense): native winter-dormant

PERENNIALS
Agave virginica/Manfreda virginica: succulent
Asters: native fall-blooming asters
Bear’s breeches (Acanthus mollis): summer dormant
‘Country Girl’ chrysanthemum: fall flowers, sometimes in spring
Gregg’s mistflower (Conoclinium greggii): native spring-fall flowering, often winter dormant
Lantanas, various: spring – frost flowers
Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera): various bloom times, winter dormant in hard freezes
Soft hair marbleseed (Onosmodium bejariense) native winter-dormant
Shrubby boneset/fragrant mistflower (Ageratina havanensis): native winter dormant, fall flowers
Shrimp plant: summer – frost
Root bear plant (Hoja santa): winter dormant
Wax mallow (Malvaviscus drummondii): native winter dormant, flowers spring to frost

SHRUBS/SMALL TREE
Mexican orchid tree (Bauhinia mexicana): summer/fall
Texas mountain laurel

SUCCULENTS
Euphorbia rigida
Graptopetalum
Nolina texana
Sedums, various
Twistleaf Yucca (Yucca rupicola)

Watch their garden story.

Designer Leah Churner uses a pick to break up soil and rocks.

Designer Leah Churner explains how to improve clay soil tilth and aeration.