Plant Choices: It’s All About Location

Unwelcome species such as dandelions and grassburs are not the only plants relegated to weed status in the landscape. The definition of a weed is any plant that is out of place. Because you don’t want a lawn full of weeds, choosing the right plant and establishing it in the right location is critical to the long-term success of your landscape.

Lawns usually have several microclimates around them. These are small areas that differ from the larger climate of the neighborhood. Although it may be a crisp 40 degrees outside on a given winter day in West Texas, a few square feet of landscape on the south side of your home may be several degrees warmer as the heat from a brick surface is re-radiated.

One of the most important principals of a well-designed landscape is to choose regionally appropriate plants and position them in the landscape to perform to their maximum potential. A large Afghan pine tree is nice to have on the south side of your home in midsummer, but it becomes a weed in the winter if it aggravates the efficiency of heating your home by blocking the sun.

Read the full article here.

– Jeff Floyd