Planting a Drainage Ditch

Houston, TX

I've recently moved into a new home in a neighborhood with culverts and drainage ditches (Houston, TX). They're deep and steep enough that mowing is a non option. And this is Houston, which means they'll alternate between being full of flood water, and drying all the way out.

Any suggestions for low maintenance plants or ground cover to put in them?

Clarksville, TN(Zone 7a)

Do you know what your USDA Hardiness Zone is?

Houston, TX

Zone 9A

Magnolia, TX(Zone 9a)

We use a native plant, but anything you plant will take over and fill the ditch. Not a good thing. Perhaps a liriope would not grow too tall...

Lake Stevens, WA(Zone 8a)

It sounds like an almost impossible gardening dilemma! I would walk around more established neighborhoods. Find what is surviving in these ditches, and plant that. This is clearly not a situation where you can hold out for something particularly beautiful. You just need survival!
Here are some snapshots I took in a mall parking lot in Seattle, I thought they did a very nice job with the drainage ditch! I don't know what the plant is.

Thumbnail by Pistil Thumbnail by Pistil Thumbnail by Pistil
orangeville, Canada

Looks kind of like a Japanese Forest Grass (Variegated). Ours are tolerant of dry conditions, but we grow them in part shade. Not sure if this is it though.

Magnolia, TX(Zone 9a)

In Houston, there are native crinums that dont get as showy as others. Amaryllis, short grasses like liriope, walking iris also used, but gets tall and like showier crinums keeps moving. Most folks try to widen their ditches and mow to keep them cleaned out for drainage when the gullywashers show up and fill them.

Lynnwood, WA

Probably Acorus gramineus Ogon

Magnolia, TX(Zone 9a)

There is also a short Mexican petunia that survives Houston, lorapetulums if you want bushes, nut you didn't show us your particular ditch problem. A crinums roots interlock with new bulbs like fingers, lay over and put new roots out til there is a solid wall to fight the sand from erosion.

Thumbnail by kittriana

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