Question
QUESTION: I live in the Houston area.  What shrubs/plants would be good for an east facing house?  I like color and it would be nice to have annuals, but I also need things that can withstand the high heat/humidity in the Houston climate.  It would be nice, too, to have suggestions for plants that don't need alot of water, but I do have a sprinkler system in my garden.  Also, it would be nice to have things that bloom/have color through out the 4 seasons, if possible.  Thanks.

ANSWER: Hello,

The plants on the following list will tolerate an eastern exposure and have low water requirements:


japanese yew

crapemyrtle

ferns

tulip

daffodil

crocus

hyacinth

snowdrop (galanthus) winter flower

witch hazel (hamamelis) winter flower

hellebores (winter flower)



Mark Harshman
http://www.mahdrafting.com
Email: [email protected]

http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47

http://www.allexperts.com/ep/724-104627/Landscaping-Design/Mark.htm




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I should have said which flowers are good as perrenials (these come back year after year, correct?) for an east facing house in the Houston area.
Also, the answer you sent I think was primarily dealing with flowers.  Do you have any suggestions for flowering evergreen shrubs/bushes and small or dwarf flowering trees for an east facing house in the Houston area?
Thanks.

Answer
Hello,

The yew will produce a red berry in winter but here are 2 more shrubs that produce flowers:

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Blue flowers. Grows to 3 feet.

China rose (Rosa chinensis)  Pink and red flowers. Grows to 5 feet.



All the plants I listed except for tulip (a wild or hybridized bulb may become perennial) are perennial.

There are also varieties of flowering ferns. You could then meet your need for more color while choosing a plant type suited to your conditions.


The plants on the list I originally gave you are very well suited to partial shade and low water conditions.


Crape myrtle varies in form from a shrub to a multi-trunk, small flowering tree and is an excellent texas tree.


Witch hazel can take the form of a sparsely branched shrub or of an upright tree and will provide fall and winter flowers. Witch hazel can reach a height of 15 feet but the average height is about 6 feet.


To summarize,here are the plants broken down into the categories of tree/shrub and the decorative bed or border plants,which would fall under the category of herbaceous or non-woody plants. The shrubs and trees are ericaceous,woody:

Tree/Shrub:

Crape Myrtle

Witch Hazel

Yew

Rosemary

China Rose


Bed/Border:

ferns

tulip

daffodil

crocus

hyacinth

snowdrop (galanthus) Flowers from January to April.

hellebores. Blooms from December to April. Grows to about 2 feet.



Mark Harshman


For more comprehensive help check out my website at:

http://www.prestoexperts.com/expert/markland