Shade Plants in Deer Country: Trisha Shirey & Barbara Wise | Central Texas Gardener

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Shade Plants in Deer Country: Trisha Shirey & Barbara Wise

Trisha Shirey and Barbara Wise shade plants Central Texas Gardener

Shrubs/small trees
American beautyberry (deciduous)
• Attracts pollinators to flowers; birds to fall berries
• Cut back in late winter
American beautyberry purple berries native Texas plant Central Texas Gardener
White mistflower (Ageratina havanensis)
• Fall bloom and sometimes spring; attracts countless pollinator
• Cut back in late winter
native white mistflower Central Texas Gardener
Turk’s cap
• Attracts butterflies, bees, hummingbirds
• Cut back in late winter
Turks cap near cat perch
Mahonia aquifolium (evergreen)
Mahonia for shade and texture Central Texas Gardener
Cestrum ‘Orange Zest’ (evergreen)
• Attracts hummingbirds
Orange Zest cestrum Central Texas Gardener
Orange Zest cestrum hummingbird flowers Central Texas Gardener

Evergreen groundcover
Sedges
Sedge dappled light groundcover Central Texas Gardener
Variegated Japanese sedge
variegated Japanese sedge shade garden Central Texas Gardener
Mexican feather grass (browns in winter)
mexican feathergrass Nasella tenuissima
Holly fern
Aspidistra (cast iron plant)

Ferns
River fern
Wavy scaly cloakfern
Wavy Cloak fern Central Texas Gardener

Perennials

Salvia greggii
Salvia guaranitica (dies to ground in winter)
Salvia coccinea (usually annual but re-seeds)
• All attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
Rock rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)

Mexican honeysuckle (usually dies to ground in winter)
Mexican honeysuckle and blue plumbago part sun Central Texas Gardener

Bulbs
Narcissus, crinum lily, Society garlic, spiderwort

Watch now for more ideas!

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November To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Perennials, shrubs, ornamental (clumping) grasses; fall is the best time to plant
Avoid planting cold tender plants like Pride of Barbardos, Esperanza, lantana, plumbago
Trees
Strawberries (best time to do it!)
Winter annuals, including calendula, snapdragon, pansy, viola, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbage, alyssum, stock, cyclamen, dusty miller, flowering kale and cabbage
Early to Thanksgiving: native wildflower seeds like bluebonnets, phlox, Mexican hat, Indian paintbrush, Indian blanket (gaillardia). Also, non-native poppies, larkspurs, hollyhocks
Early to Thanksgiving: spring bulbs

Plant: herbs

Perennials thyme, oregano, lavender
Cilantro transplants, parsley, dill, fennel , chervil, summer savory, borage, chives, rue
Be prepared to cover in case of deep freeze

Plant: food crops

Keep planting winter crops for successive harvest
Water weekly with liquid seaweed
Spray cabbage loopers on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/

Prune

Avoid pruning shrubs right now unless you see damage
Okay to prune live oak and red oaks through January
Okay to prune trees
Thyme

Divide/Move

Shrubs, roses, trees, evergreen spring-blooming perennials

Prep

Mulch cold tender plants like gingers, Esperanza and semi-tropicals
Select spots where you want fruit trees, grapes, or berries to plant in January; for now, prep with compost
Get that row cover ready! Do not protect plants with plastic!

Lawn

If must mow, keep high to shade out germinating weeds
It’s really not a good idea to overseed with rye unless you have new, muddy construction and a dog!

Other tasks

Cut basil to freeze in oil in ice cube trays to use this winter in soups and stews
Collect seeds from summer annuals to dry and store indoors until next spring
Take cuttings of tender annuals to propagate in warmth to plant next spring
Rake leaves into beds to mulch over winter and return nutrients to the soil
Mow leaves on grass (if not raking to beds or compost) to break them down
Collect leaves from neighbors to add to compost pile!
Deeply water new plants; keep new seedlings moist but not drenched