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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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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

East Kingston, NH
Identity of night-glowing object in tree in New Hampshire
I know this sounds crazy but last night when my husband stepped outside he noticed a purplish glow in one of the trees. At first he thought some kind of animal but when throwing a rock at it it did no...
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East Kingston, NH
Report on object glowing in tree in New Hampshire
Hello again Mr Smartpants. I commented about a purple glow coming from a tree in previous comments. Since then they have multiplied and are spreading to different trees. We believe we may have it narr...
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Hampton, NH
Source for sea lavender in Hampton NH
Where in southeast New Hampshire or Northeast Massachusetts can I buy sea lavender, please? Thank you.
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Hampton, NH
Planting Lupinus perennis and Lupinus polyfyllus together in NH
I got a seed package with both Lupinous perennis and polyphyllus combined. Would they be okay to plant together in NH?
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Newburyport, MA
Bottlebrush buckeye not leafing out from Newburyport MA
We have a bottlebrush buckeye bush that has grown and blossomed for 16 years. This spring the bush failed to produce any leaves and there are no buds in anticipation of leaves. There are a few smaller...
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Haverhill, MA
Vine to cover fence from Haverhill MA
Hello, I'm looking for a fast growing vine to cover a chain link fence. The area is sunny half of the day. I have 2 small children so I don't want something that attracts bees or could be dangerous ...
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Salem, NH
Plant identification
I have a plant or weed that is a five leaf leave and it is greenish-red and shinny. I have been searching the internet and can't seem to find what it is. It is spread throughout my back yard an...
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Portsmouth, NH
Non-native lilac in a pot in New Hampshire
I live in an apartment with a balcony that gets morning sun but is in the shade by 3 pm. Can I plant a lilac in a pot? What perennial would do well in New Hampshire? I love lilacs and would like to...
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Durham, NH
Compare Natives to Lawn for Carbon Footprint Benefits in Durham, New Hampshire
Are there carbon sequestration rate tables for turf (lawn) and bushes, shrubs, trees? I want to compare the carbon footprint benefit of lawn versus the same area put into native plantings.
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Rowley, MA
Native, low maintenance lawn for Rowley MA
I am in Northeastern (coastal) Massachusetts and I am looking to replace my (currently high maintenance, water intensive, invasive species) lawn with a native, low maintenance species (or mix). Many o...
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Lawerence, MA
Should non-native Royal Empress tree be planted in Lawrence MA?
I am researching the Royal Empress Tree because I want to plant one in my yard in Massachusetts. I wanted to know if the Royal Empress will have rapid reproduction and bring more Empress trees to the ...
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windham, NH
Propagating a Magnolia tree from a twig cutting in New Hampshire.
I have a twig cutting from a rare magnolia tree I found on a farm in central New Hampshire. The tree seems to be at least one hundred years old. It was in full bloom in late August and I was told by t...
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Andover, MA
Plant identification in Andover MA
I live in MA. I have found a tree that produces an avocado like fruit with a round grooved pit. There are several of these trees in the fields where I walk and the ground is littered with these fruits...
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Andover, MA
Native plants to preserve soil on river bank
I live in eastern Massachusetts. We have a small stream in our backyard and a woodland area on the other side. Japanese Knotweed is pretty well established on the opposite bank of the stream from our ...
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Northwood, NH
Shrub or Vine for NH Slope
I'm looking for a native plant/shrub/vine that can be used to control erosion on a relatively steep slope in New Hampshire. Do you know of any?
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Manchester, NH
Shrubs or trees for privacy screen in New Hampshire
I am looking to put up a living privacy wall in my yard. My husband and I just bought a house in Derry, NH, and have a rather large backyard (approx. 1 acre), which seems to get continuous sun. We h...
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Manchester, NH
Varmints disturbing plants in NH
I planted herbs and perennials, then put paper down and bark. At first an animal just disturbed the paper around the plants, exposing it. Today two plants are dug up and are completely gone. No sig...
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York, ME
Care of lemon cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa)
How do I care for a Lemon Cypress tree? Does it require a lot of sun? How often should I water it? It is 18" high and I have it in a pot on my screen porch. Thank-you
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N. Reading, MA
Grasses for hillside in N. Reading MA
I am seeking a grass for a steep, sunny slope in the NE.
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Lowell, MA
Why won't my Campsis cultivar flower in Lowell MA
I bought a Campsis trumpet vine cultivar in 2006 and planted near my fence in my yard hoping to cover the fence with the vine. Well 4 seasons later the vine has grown about 5 ft. in area but has yet ...
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Nashua, NH
Failure of non-native mock orange to bloom
We have a mature mock orange shrub that is very healthy but has not bloomed at all. What can we do?
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