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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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

Questions From Near You

Vernon, BC
Alternatives to non-native heather (Calluna vulgaris)
I live in Vernon, BC, Canada. I plan to put a heather plant in my garden, but my space is limited. I know that it will grow approx. 2 ft. high and that it likes well drained and acidic soil, but how...
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Vernon, BC
Can lantana be grown in British Columbia from Vernon BC
Can I grow lantana in Vernon B.C. Canada?
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Vernon, BC
Are blue spruce (Picea pungens) poisonous?
Are blue spruce trees poisonous at all? Thank you.
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Castlegar, BC
Care for non-native Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum)
How do you care for an Easter Lily once the flowers have fallen off?
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Republic, WA
Revegetating a hillside in western Washington state
Removing several downed trees across my dock demolished the native plants growing on the hillside and the contractor pulled out their remains. The area faces east on an open freshwater bay. Close to...
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Kettle Falls, WA
Encouraging Daisies to Reappear
Having moved into our home in the early spring of the year we hadn't seen any of the flowering plants around the place until we were living here and we were not given any info on care for them. So ...
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Ione, WA
Plants that animals won't eat from Ione WA
In Ione Washington and need to know what types of plants and flowers I can plant that animals in that area wont eat?
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Glacier, WA
Plant identification
We are trying to identify a plant that looks a lot like elephant ear, but has round leaves not heart shaped. It is growing in a wet area that gets good morning sun. It is not a native. It returns e...
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Abbotsford, BC
Controlling pumpkin vine in British Columbia
I have never grown pumpkins before but decided to try one plant this year. It seems to be taking over my small garden space. Can I prune it back? I only want one or two pumpkins for my grandchildre...
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Coquitlam, BC
Advice on planting Korean dogwood (Cornus kousa) in Vancouver, BC
I live in the Vancouver, BC - Pacific Northwest area and the front of our yard faces south to southwest. If I were to plant a tree other than an evergreen, would the Korean Dogwood thrive in this are...
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Langley, BC
Plant Identification
Hi there. I have a plant in my garden I'm trying to identify. It started out looking like a cabbage but now is huge, It has a large stalk going up the middle with purple bell looking flowers coming...
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Surrey, BC
Pacific dogwood not fruiting
We have a beautiful Pacific Dogwood in front of our balcony. In some years it has fruit (berries) but has not for the past two years. When it does, it becomes a magnet for Northern Flickers. Is the pr...
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Bellingham, WA
Plants for a mixed hedgerow for privacy and for the birds
What are the best native plants for a mixed hedgerow in a small backyard? I want privacy (heights 5'-10') and bird friendly. Thank you for your information.
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Bellingham , WA
Fruiting times of native trees and shrubs in the Pacific Norhwest
I am looking for information on fruiting/seeds/nuts times of native trees and shrubs in the Pacific Northwest. Obviously they fruit after they bloom but all I can find is very general information such...
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Blaine, WA
Evergreen hedge for constant rain
We live in Washington State up north by Canadian border. We need a hedge that will survive the constant rain. We have tried cedar. They seem to turn brown and die,one at a time so we keep replacing th...
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Burnaby, BC
Controlling Pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata) in British Columbia
Hello, I am emailing from the west coast of Canada, Vancouver, and I have a plant question regarding a species you have listed on your website. We have recently discovered Pontederia cordata L. Pi...
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Delta , BC
Evergreen shrub/tree for British Columbia.
What kind of hedge or trees might work to provide privacy in our lower mainland British Columbia yard/garden? We need something evergreen that is perhaps,fast growing. Our yard is not deep and our k...
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Sedro Woolley, WA
Controlling slugs in a Pacific Northwest strawberry patch
Would love to plant various varieties of strawberries on a bank for erosion control and ground cover. How can we keep the slugs at bay? We are in the the Pacific Northwest
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Coulee City, WA
Native trees for horse pasture in eastern Washington
Hi. I live in Washington State (eastern)What type of trees can I grow in a pasture for horses? Best Regards,
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Burlington, WA
Plant identification
I have this shrub looking type plant with leaves that smell like lemons. The plant has a very small white flower on it. This shrub shows up in my yard every year in the summer. We are curious as to we...
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Vancouver, BC
Problem with acanthus in Vancouver BC
My girlfriend's Mom just planted an Acanthus in her garden. In the morning, it apparently stands up tall, but in the evening it bends over until the the leaves are lying in the dirt. She's concerned...
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