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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

Cloverdale, CA
Picking flowers of bulbs from Cloverdale CA
Will picking the flowers of native bulb plants, such as Trillium, Blue Dicks, Fawn Lilies, kill the plant or keep it from reproducing? I do not condone this action but know people who do it.
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Guerneville, CA
Evergreen drought-tolerant screening plant for shade
I am renting my place and looking for a screening, green all year, native plant or shrub. I plan to grow it in large planters along my street and to create privacy in my back yard. It has to be a non...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Plant identification
I don't know where this plant is from! I hope you can still help! I was given a plant,about 8in tall,stem and limbs are yellow it doesn't grow leaves it just has thorns do you have any idea what it ...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Plant Identification
I have small shiny red berries growing on a tropical appearing shrub with green and marled yellow leaves. The leaves have widely serrated edges. The berries have a large seed inside and very little fl...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Privacy screen for Santa Rosa CA
I am looking for a very fast growing privacy hedge/screen, 15-20 ft., requires not much pruning. I want an evergreen with not a lot of mess. The area gets full sun and after the plant is established...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Acorns for craft project in Santa Rosa CA
Where can I find mature northern red oaks, northern pin oaks in Santa Rosa, CA 95404 in order to get their cute chubby acorns for a craft project I'm doing?
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Santa Rosa, CA
Low maintenance plants for crack in concrete
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I would like to grow some very low maintenance weeds, mosses and flowers out of a crack in a slab of concrete. Can you recommend any species that would do well in this sort...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Weeds safe for rabbits to eat
I have several types of weeds running rampant in my large backyard. I can't seem to keep up with them. I have a couple rabbits and was wondering if the weeds are edible and would be okay to feed to...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Indentification of yellow four-petaled plant in Sonoma County CA
Yellow four-petaled plant - low to the ground. Along the coast of CA in Sonoma County (near Bodega Bay) Might be Frying Pan but I can't find a decent description or the botanical name to look it up...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Problems with non-native mimosa
We have 2 large mimosa trees in front of our house that are close to 50 years old. They have not been cared for over the past 8 years (we did not live here). This year, I trimmed them, removed dead ...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Plants for heavy clay in Sonoma County, California
Hi, I live in Northern California, Sonoma County, and would like to transition my front garden into mostly native plants. Trouble is, my soil is clay, yicky, heavy clay, and some of the natives I've ...
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Santa Rosa, CA
Rash from non-native potato vines
Here in No. CA we have two potato vines that over the last 5-6 years have flourished gloriously. Just this year, we went to prune them (as we normally do once or twice a year), and both my husband an...
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Bodega Bay, CA
Identity of plant that smells like dill in California
Whenever I drive over the Sonoma County, CA coastal range and to the beach (usually Bodega) as you get closer to the ocean the air is scented not just with the wonderful smell of the sea, but also of ...
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Penngrove, CA
The invasiveness of Lupinus arboreus
Hi, Researching Lupinus arboreus, I found that it is considered a serious invasive in Northern California coastal areas, especially Humbolt Bay. Scotch broom, of course, is an awful pest on the coast...
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Penngrove, CA
Trees and shrubs for adobe soil in Penngrove CA
Hi, I'd like to find a list of trees that are native, drought tolerant and suitable to the adobe soil in Penngrove. We will be landscaping a bare .5 acre parcel starting later this fall. Another fea...
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Petaluma, CA
Non-endangered medicinal plants to Echinacea
A recent issue of the Wildflower Center said that echinacea is endangered and it is best to use a substitute, but did not give a good substitute. (Only oregon grape was listed as a substitute for gold...
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Petaluma, CA
Evergreen thorny bush for California
I need to find an evergreen thorny type bush, shrub or tree that will grow with about 3-4 hours of morning sun only. Prefer CA native, inland/semi coastal. Purpose: To provide a deterrent for "tag...
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Willits, CA
Plantings for sides of retention pond in Willits CA
I am looking for recommendations for ground cover for the outside of embankments which impound wastewater. This is to improve the aesthetics and deter weeds. The slopes are 1V:2H, so if we can avoid...
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Napa, CA
Deer resistant plants for wet area in northern California
In Napa/Sonoma/Calif mountains, deer resistant plants, shrubs that tolerate much water and full sun? Area is in 'spring area' and a butterfly bush drowned. Thank you!
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Novato, CA
Sources of native plants for Marin County, CA
Where in Marin County, California can I get native area plants?
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Novato, CA
Evergreen shrub for hedge in pasture in California
I am looking at putting in a hedge along a pasture between my neighbor and me. I was considering a podacarpus plant about every 4' for 100'. is this a fast growing, full thickness, tall evergreen bu...
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