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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

Blakeslee, PA
Groundcover for Poconos in Pennsylvania
Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I am having a problem growing grass. I live in the Pocono mtns of Pa. my soil is not typical for this area. I have very sandy soil, probably poor quality. grass will not grow. I...
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Mountaintop, PA
Identification of tree with fuschia berries in Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania tree with fuschia berries in autumn. Found one in woods,never saw one before.
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Tobyhanna, PA
Annual flowers for rocky area near driveway in Pennsylvania
What type(s) of annual flowers can I plant along a driveway in northeast PA? The soil is very rocky and the area is mostly shady receiving only morning and some late afternoon sun.
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Tobyhanna, PA
Will deer eat bellflowers?
Are deer attracted to the bellflower? Will they eat it?
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Beltzville, PA
ID of odd woodland plant in PA?
Found in the woods in Eastern Pennsylvania. It is about 8 inches tall and were found in clusters of 3 to 10. They are clear. with pink and black tops. Similar to a flower, but snaps like a fungus. ...
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Ashley, PA
Norway Pine vs. Norway Spruce
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Is a Norway Pine the same species of tree as a Norway Spruce?
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west pittston, PA
Perennial plants native to northeastern Pennsylvania
What perennial plants are native to northeastern Pennsylvania?
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Palmerton, PA
How to Overwinter Texas Sage in PA
I live in northeast PA. I just bought a Texas sage tree. How do I care for it in the winter?
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Palmerton, PA
Identification of vine in Pennsylvania
I have several vine plants growing in my deck planters from last season. The leaves are 9 pointed, it looks more like 7, but there are 2 little points at the very bottom of the larger leaves. When t...
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Danielsville, PA
Recovery of damaged fuchsia plant in hanging basket
I had a beautiful fuchsia plant hanging on my porch. The hanger gave way and the plant fell straight down into another flower bed. The fuchsia seemed ok. I put it back in the pot put up new strong ...
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Stroudsburg, PA
Moving non-native Iris Germanica in Pennsylvania
I am moving from Northeast Pennsylvania to North Carolina this fall or winter. I was told it was possible to save some of my bearded Iris plants by digging them after they bloom and allowing them to ...
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East Stroudsburg, PA
Need an attractive plant to help stabilize a wet area in East Stroudsburg PA.
We have a small run off from one pond to another. At the bottom of the slope, the area is always wet--and not from the run off. Is there a low growing plant that would provide a root system to help st...
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Lansford, PA
Recommended plants for horse farm in Lansford PA
Recently started a small horse farm in northeast Pennsylvania just east of the Pocono Mountain plateau. Located in a foggy valley adjacent to a lake. Snowy, cold winters; wet springs; dry summers; ni...
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Tamaqua, PA
Plant identification from Tamaqua PA
I live in PA, have a plant growing in my geranium planter, was told it was a moonflower, but it is not a vine. The flower is a white trumpet, six star, with purple in the middle. leaves look like ...
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Bushkill, PA
Plant identification
This should be an easy one. I would like to identify a plant that grows along river banks, usually up to the edge of the water and within 50' of water course, and is very common. It is up to 8' in ...
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Dalton, PA
Height of plastic tree guards to protect against deer
How high do the plastic tree guards used to prevent deer rubbing need to be? I live in northeastern Pa.
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Bethlehem, PA
Identification of riparian plant in Pennsylvania
I'm wondering if this is a native plant: the plant is 3-5ft. tall, it has a tough reedy stalk, grows in sunny riparian areas, has whorled leaves with toothed margin, and has elongated clusters of tin...
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Bethlehem, PA
Winter care of succulents from Bethlehem PA
We live in the northeast and we used succulents on our deck this summer because nothing else would survive the intense heat. How can I save these beautiful plants through a cold winter? Thank you.
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Bethlehem, PA
Forget-me-nots choking a spring in Bethlehem PA
Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I am restoring a native plant area along a spring that feeds directly into our local creek. Right now the spring is becoming choked with forget-me-nots, that I am trying ...
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Phillipsburg, NJ
Native plants, wildlife hosts for small yard in New Jeersey
I live in New Jersey & am in the process of changing my yard over to native plants. My yard is very small & I currently have a Kousa dogwood tree that I want to replace with something native. I need...
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Phillipsburg, NJ
Questioning native status of Alberta Spruce in New Jersey
I am in the process of transforming my yard to native plants. Several years ago I planted a Dwarf Alberta Spruce. I want to be sure this isn't native before I remove it but haven't been able to fi...
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