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
Winter Park, FL
Cypress trees near pool in Winter Park FL
I live in Winter Park (Orlando) Florida. I have been gifted two potted cypress trees that I need to get into the ground. The only place I can plant them is in my backyard in between a stand of non-inv...
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Boulder, CO
Passionflower Vine for Boulder
I would love to have a passionflower vine growing up an arbor. I have read comments online that indicate: 1. I can grow some types of passionflowers in Colorado. 2. The plants can become very invasiv...
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Boulder, CO
Correct family classification for Allium cernuum
What is the correct family classification for Allium cernuum? I have seen the nodding onion as part of the Liliaceae family on the USDA website and my field guides, but it is in the Alliaceae family i...
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Evergreen, CO
Wildflower season in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado region
Hello, I plan on going to the San Juan, Co. area next month (mid-July) around Ouray to see the wildflowers. As you may know it has been very dry in Colorado. What do you expect the wildflower season t...
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Golden, CO
Propagation of Red Yucca from Golden, CO
I have collected the mature seeds of Hesperaloe parviflora (the red yucca). Can you tell me what steps I need to follow for successful germination? Many thanks!
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Golden, CO
Average lifespan of Pinchot's Juniper from Golden CO
What is the average lifespan of Juniperus coahuilensis (syn. Juniperus texensis) trees?
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Broomfield, CO
Removal of Western yarrow invading lawn
We have western yarrow in our yard and it is starting to take over and kill the grass. How do we get rid of it?
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Broomfield, CO
Planting conditions for non-native Oriental poppy in Colorado
I live in Broomfield, CO. Is this a good time to plant oriental poppies, what is the best sun exposure and how should I prepare the soil?
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Arvada, CO
Removing non-native juniperus x pfitzeriana in Arvada CO
We have 200' of large juniper pfitzers (3' tall - 4' wide) that completely enclose our front yard. We want to remove all of them but the estimates to dispose of them have been extremely high. One...
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Arvada, CO
Viability of Cupressus macrocarpa in Arvada, Colorado
Can I plant lemon cypress in Arvada CO, zone 5, as landscaping plant? Can't find zone information.
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Longmont, CO
Growing Texas Bluebonnets in Colorado
I bought bluebonnet seeds from your wildflower center last August when visited Austin. Being a Texas native, I want to enjoy bluebonnets here in Colorado. When do I plant my seeds outdoors? In the gro...
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Longmont, CO
Sources of seeds for Quercus buckleyi
I'm looking for a source for Liners or seed of "Texas oak (Quercus buckleyi)". Can you tell me any sources?
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Longmont, CO
Pollinator friendly lawn for Longmont CO
I have a sunny, treeless, South-facing yard, with a slight South-facing slope in Boulder County, CO. It has one patch of buffalo grass, but is more then half some other type of grass. I would like t...
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Longmont, CO
Trumpet vines on wall in Longmont CO
I purchased three trumpet vines to plant on the NW wall of my house back in 2002. Although the leaves are a beautiful healthy dark green, none of them have ever bloomed despite regular fertilizing pe...
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Lakewood, CO
Is the Magnolia 'Ann' safe for horses
I bought a magnolia "ann". Will it hurt my horses to eat any part of it?
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Westminster, CO
Columnar evergreen for Colorado
I am looking for an evergreen 6-8 (or more) feet tall, very columnar; 3 feet spread in diameter, zone 5, full sun, dark green, clayish-OK soil.
Thank you so much!
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Westminster, CO
Sagebrush for Westminster CO
On a recent visit to Taos, NM we fell in love with the local sagebrush. We would like to plant this sagebrush in our yard. We are located near Denver Colorado. Would this plant survive and how do we g...
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Drake, CO
Can a Texas Mountain Laurel be grown in Drake CO
I live in Colorado, in the mountains near Estes Park, and would like to plant the Texas Mountain Laurel. Can they be grown in this environment. I would be willing to grow them in containers so I could...
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Northglenn, CO
Native wildflowers for Denver, Colorado area
I live in the Denver, CO area and would like to plant more native wildflowers. Can you please tell me where I can find a list?
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Thornton, CO
Ground cover for Thornton CO
I want to order ground cover because I don't want to mess with grass any more. I live in Colorado, north of Denver. The soil has a lot of clay. I tried clover and that did not do well. My yard is par...
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Denver, CO
Taking stock in where and what you grow in Denver Colorado
I have two year old stock plants growing in a container in my home and they are finally starting to bloom. However, the buds open but don't produce any petals. Also they are experiencing yellow leave...
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