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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.

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Weedville, PA
Early spring wildflowers of Pennsylvania
What native wildflower is the first to bloom in Weedville, Pa? (Jay township, Elk county) I am working on a research paper for my Environmental Problems class, and this would be very helpful. Thank y...
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Blandburg, PA
Propagation of Kalmia latifolia
How easy is it to propagate Kalmia latifolia from seed?
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St. Marys, , PA
Are hollies toxic?
Can I use holly from my landscaping to decorate food at Christmas?
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State College, PA
My newly planted Redbuds are not doing well.
I ordered and received 2 Red Bud trees from one of the popular ordering houses. They explained that they were dormant and not dead, and gave us instructions on how to plant them, which we followed. Th...
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State College, PA
Plant identification
Hello. There is a plant growing next to my 4 o'clocks that I didn't plant which is almost the same height as them, but has different leaves and it grows wider. It has these huge light green upside d...
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Brookville, PA
Low growing groundcovers for pond banks in Brookville PA
What are some good low growing ground cover plants for pond banks? Zone 5, mostly sun, preferably something I could start from seed? Hopefully low maintenance & non-evergreen. Perennial & hardy pre...
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Brookville, PA
Wild cranberries in Pennsylvania
Where are wild cranberries located in northwest PA, near Brookville?
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Altoona, PA
White flowers to plant in front of evergreen tree screen in Altoona PA
I have planted about 30 evergreen trees (as a screen). I would like to plant a row of low maintenance whitish flowering bushes or low maintenance large flowering plants in front of this row. Any sug...
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Round Rock, PA
Live oak with brown balls and brown spots in Round Rock PA
Is my live oak sick? Brown spots are on the leaves and round brown balls are growing on the stems. Please help.
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Mayport, PA
Identification of oak trees in Pennsylvania
I am an avid hunter in PA. I found these nuts and was wondering what kind they are. There is a red oak beside this tree, and I know what a white oak is but this tree and it's nuts look to be from a...
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Indiana, PA
Dry, brown leaves on non-native weeping willow
Hello! I live in Pennsylvania I have 5 weeping willows I planted 3 years ago. All seemed well until last week I noticed suddenly one looks like it might be dying!? All the leaves are dry & brown. T...
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Homer City, PA
How can I propagate Magnolia trees? Airlayeringg, semi-hardwood cuttings, and seeds.
Hi. My grandmother recently passed away. One of her most prized possessions was her magnolia tree. She absolutely loved that tree. I, along with other members of the family each want to take a pie...
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McVeytown, PA
Native wildflower garden for Pennsylvania
Hello, I am interested in making a garden, and I would like to use only or mostly native wildflowers in it. Do you have any good suggestions for wildflowers that I can transplant from places where the...
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Johnstown, PA
Possibilities of plants for bank shale ledge in Johnstown, PA
We have a mountain that we ripped out to build our house. The remaining ledge is mostly bank shale and everyone is telling us that nothing will grow on the hillside due to it being bank shale and a p...
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Saxton, PA
Penalty for picking Kalmia latifolia in Pennsylvania
What if any is the penalty for picking the Mountain Laurel wild flower in Pennsylvania when it is in bloom?
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Kittanning, PA
Native flowers for September wedding in Kittanning PA
I am planting flowers for a wedding on September 17th 2010. What flowers bloom best. Looking for blues,whites and pinks.
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Ford City, PA
Conservation status of Lathyrus venosus (Veiny pea)
The Wild Pea (Lathyrus Venosus Muhl) 1) What's being done to preserve them 2) When were they placed on the endangered species list 3) How many are left
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New Paris, PA
Poisonous weeds in Bedford County, PA
I am battling my second bad round of poison in a month, this time on my face and in my left eye. It's awful. Problem is, I have looked and looked for poison ivy, oak and sumac around my neighborhoo...
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Port Royal, PA
Division of impatiens grown in a pot
I have an impatient and it is growing out of the pot. I was wondering if it were possible to divide it somehow and have two medium size plants.
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Propsect Park, PA
Roadside plants as absorbers of carbon dioxide
If plants absorb carbon dioxide why aren't they on a list of things to do to combat Global Warming? If we had more plants on the sides of our roads and highways would it help?
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Bradford, PA
Plants for steep bank in Pennsylvania
What do I do with a very steep bank with hard clay soil to stop erosion and to look nice. Is there a ground cover that would help?
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