Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers Nan Hampton, Jimmy Mills and Barbara Medford to be the culpable and capable parties. Yet, others think staff members Damon Waitt, Joe Marcus and Philip Hawkins might play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Questions From Near You
Enning, SD
Recommendations for house plants for South Dakota
Thank you for your web site! I live in Enning South Dakota, and I am new to this beautiful part of the United States. I would love to grow house plants but don't know where to start looking or what k...
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Stratford, SD
Can Calycanthus floridus survive in South Dakota?
Calycanthus in South Dakota? I've recently purchased some seeds for a calycanthus plant (floridus I think). I'm going to start them indoors but am wondering if this can survive a South Dakota winter...
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Greeley, CO
Groundcovers for area under blue spruce in Colorado
I have a 40 ft blue spruce limbed up 6 ft in my yard on the west in Greeley, CO (50 mi N Denver, zone 4 or 5). It gets some sun underneath in the later afternoon and evening. Can you suggest 4 to 5 ...
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Valley CIty, ND
North Dakota Riverbank Stabilization
Can you suggest plants to prevent and stabilize river bank erosion on Sheyenne River, ND?
Must be tolerant to cold, varying level of salts and sulfates and water level (from drought to flooding)
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Box Elder, SD
Grasshopper invasion in Box Elder SD
I just bought a new home and there is an infestation of grasshoppers throughout the neighborhood. What shrubs and/or flowers could I plant that they may not like to eat?
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Sturgis, SD
Deer Resistant plants in South Dakota
Plants and flowers that deer wont eat and will grow in Black Hills, SD
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Sturgis, SD
Problems with spreading juniper in Sturgis, SD
I live in Sturgis, South Dakota and I have two different varieties of Spreading Juniper in the yard as ground cover. They have developed an orange colored fungus that goes dormant in the winter but a...
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Rapid City, SD
Native plants for erosion control in South Dakota
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota at about 5000 feet ASL. My house is on a steep hill. I had to clear a perimeter around my house of all the pine trees for fire supp...
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Rapid City, SD
Weird-looking rootless plant, perhaps a fungus
While out it my backyard (i.e. the Black Hills of South Dakota), I spotted a weird-looking rootless plant (I think it may be a fungus) growing beneath the Ponderosa Pines. It was the only one in the a...
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Rapid City, SD
What about planting a Colorado Blue Spruce in Rapid City, SD?
What would be the best tree to plant in my small front yard that would be low maintenance? I live in Rapid City, SD, and we are landscaping our front yard. We were thinking of Colorado Blue Spruce b...
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Rapid City, SD
Sources of seeds for Cudweed Sagewort and Artemisia ludoviciana
Where can a person buy seeds for Cudweed Sagewort. Artemisia ludoviciana?
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Fargo, ND
Trumpet flower side effects
What happens if you eat a trumpet flower, what are the side effects and dangers?
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Morris, MN
Herbarium locations for Bifora americana
Dr Hampton:
I am trying to find specific locations of populations of Bifora americana (prairie bishop). Apparently, many collections of this species have been made in the Dallas-Ft Worth area as we...
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Crawford, NE
Prairie and wetland restoration in Nebraska
We recently bought property south of Crawford,NE near the Pine Ridge area. It has been grazed by horses for years. We'd like to restore the native grasses and flowers. I have no idea where to begi...
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Sioux Falls, SD
Privacy hedge for South Dakota
Hi, I'm looking for something to use as a hedge. 8 foot or so tall offering semi privacy all year. I like dogwoods but loss of leaves in the winter makes me skeptical. Boxwood would be interesting...
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Yankton, SD
Tree for South Dakota
Sir, I am looking for suggestions on a backyard tree, nice shade tree 60-80' height to complement a split foyer house and a flowering crab that is currently there. Low maintenance, with no seeds or c...
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Alliance, NE
Plant identification, Russian olive or buffaloberry
Thank you for the info I found here regarding the silver buffaloberry and the russian olive. I need help in identifying which small shrub I have(it is one or the other)that was transplanted here on o...
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Kenosee Lake, SK
Winterizing non-native sedum in Saskatchewan CA
What should be done to winterize a autumn joy (sedum)?
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kipling, SK
Apples, pears and geraniums in Kipling, Saskatchewan
My geranium's leaves became yellow - Why? Where can I buy a good nice apple tree? Will apples and pears grow in south Saskatchewan?
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Spalding, NE
Care for an orchid
I have another question. How do I care for an orchard. I have had it close to a year and it hasn't grown. How much water do they take.
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Spalding, NE
Bulbs named exotica
When I purchased some seed from a catalog I received some free bulbs called exotica which I planted.They have long green stems. I don't know what they are or what to do with them. Can I plant them ou...
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