Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Ask Mr. Smarty 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.

Support NPINHelp grow the Native Plant Information Network by giving to the Plant Database Fund or subcribing to Wildflower magazine.

Subscribe online now
Mr. Smarty Plants would give Wildflower magazine two thumbs up...if he had two thumbs.
Share

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.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

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

Iquitos, Other
Source for sabadilla lily (Scheonocaulon officinale)
Hi, i'm Dutch and living in Iquitos Amazone Peru. Now i'm looking for the plant sabadilla lilly (sapadilla lilly?). This is a natural pesticide. Where does this plant grow, where can I find the pla...
view the full question and answer

Maracaibo, Venezuela
Plants looking similar to Camellia sinensis in Venezuela
Is there another plant that looks similar to the tea plant? I need to do a photoshoot of a tea plantation, but canīt really get to one, so I was wondering if there were other plants that at least look...
view the full question and answer

Lares, Puerto Rico, Other
Information about the wormvine orchid, Vanilla barbellata
Hi My name is Santiago I'm from Puerto Rico and discover this Vanilla orchid in the forest, this orchid is V. barbellata var. alba? You have some information of how identify the V. barbe...
view the full question and answer

Homestead, FL
Pollinator for Hymenocallis palmeri
Okay, Ms. Smarty Plants, let's see if I can stump you. I feel blessed to have seen an alligator lily (Hymenocallis palmeri) in the Everglades, while doing photopoints with my boss. Please tell me w...
view the full question and answer

Homestead, FL
Native grasses for south Florida
I live in south Florida, south of Miami about 30 miles. I would like to get rid of my St. Augustine lawn and plant native grasses. Can you please suggest some plants I could use? Will buffalo grass...
view the full question and answer

Coral Gables, FL
Plants that smell like chocolate from Coral Gables FL
I am looking for plants that smell like chocolate. I live in south Florida. We are currently growing and testing Berlandiera lyrata. Do you know of other plants whose flowers smell like chocolate?
view the full question and answer

Coral Gables, FL
Information about Melochia tomentosa
Hi, We have a plant in our garden that was received as Melochia tomentosa. It is a woody shrub, about 6' tall and 8' wide. According to the Institute for Regional Conservation, this species is no...
view the full question and answer

Coral Gables, FL
Pool-Side Plants for Miami
I am looking for plants, along the line of ti plant cordyline features, to plant around my chlorinated pool area with full South Miami sun. We have a dog therefore they must be non-toxic plants. The...
view the full question and answer

Coral Gables, FL
Source of Berlandiera pumila seeds from Coral Gables FL
Where can I buy plants or seeds of Berlandiera pumila?
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Problems with non-native Canary Date Palms from Miami FL
Hi: The fronts of my canary date palm, which I planted about 6 years ago, has been getting brown from the bottom of the tree and working itself towards the top for the past several months now. The b...
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Edible Plants of Florida
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants My name is Gabriel Bedoya; Im anthropologist, with large experience in research of traditional culinary, symbolic systems and native kitchens. Due to my experience in those s...
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Removing leaves before transplanting from Miami
What is good idea to remove some leaves before transplanting a plant??
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Palm trees turning orange in Miami
Why are my palm trees turning orange?
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Non-native Ruda plant drying up in Florida
I have a RUDA plant at work, but do not know if I am putting too much water on it, it is about 1 meter high but I think is drying up. How often do I water it? I'm in Miami Fl. Thank you.
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Miami gardener needs to know toxicity of Cordia boissieri
Hello. I have a question about Cordia boissieri. Is it toxic for humans (all parts of the plant)? I want to plant it in South Florida, in an area with children.
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Does music affect growth of necklace pod plants?
Does music affect the growth of the necklace pod plants? this is for a science project! Please help!
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Locating ruda plants in Florida
Where I can find or who sells Ruda plants? in the Miami, Florida area ?
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
What is more important for plant growth; sunlight, water, soil or what?
What is more important for plant growth generally. Sunlight, water, good soil what ? please write back I need an answer I am 13 doing a science project.
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Scientific name for non-native staghorn fern
What is the scientific name for the staghorn fern?
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
Groundcovers for Miami FL
What is a ground cover that does not need mowing or a lot of water and survives in South Florida heat and is also native to the area? I would like to turn my lawn into a more natural self-sustaining a...
view the full question and answer

Miami, FL
is the rainbow Eucalyptus poisonous to horses in FL?
Is the Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree poisonous to horses?
view the full question and answer