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

Leesville, SC
Non-poisonous trees to shade horse pasture in Leesville SC
Please list NON-poisonous trees for horses in South Carolina. I would live to plant a few trees along the fence of my horse pasture and in my horse pasture for shade.
view the full question and answer

Saluda, SC
Source for dotted blue-eyed grass from Saluda SC
I lived in Texas for several years and now live on acreage in South Carolina. I have heard that bluebonnets don't grow well in South Carolina. However, there is a place by the road near our house t...
view the full question and answer

Lexington, SC
Possibility of growing Buckleys yucca in South Carolina
I live in Lexington, SC. I am wondering if I can grow Buckley's yucca (yucca constricta) here and if so, where can I purchase the seeds or plants? I am from Texas and we are trying to create a "we...
view the full question and answer

Johnston, SC
Native evergreen trees or shrubs for privacy screen in South Carolina
RE: Wednesday - April 02, 2008 From: Johnston, SC Region: Southeast Topic: Native Trees Title: Native evergreen trees or shrubs for privacy screen in South Carolina Author: Barbara Medford Qu...
view the full question and answer

Johnston, SC
Native evergreen trees or shrubs for privacy screen in South Carolina
Mr. Smarty Plants, we recently lost a grove of eleven 30+ year old white pine trees in a storm this month. They provided a natural 42'x30' screen to the front of our property and home. What type o...
view the full question and answer

Prosperity, SC
Privacy screening from Prosperity SC
I need to know what would be a good tree to plant for blocking my neighbor's home it needs to be an evergreen and slender in the space it would take.
view the full question and answer

Newberry, SC
More on bluebonnets
We live on a farm and have recently had a cow that was deathly sick, then finally got better. We also had a couple of calving problems with the cows. I was reading about how toxic tailcup lupine is to...
view the full question and answer

edgefield, SC
Fast growing, possibly invasive trees for South Carolina
What fast growing trees would you suggest for South Carolina? We are heavy clay and the pecan trees we planted don't see to be too happy here. We are looking at the yellow poplar and the empress tre...
view the full question and answer

West Columbia, , SC
Ways to eliminate non-native bermuda grass from West Columbia SC
Could you kill bermuda grass by heavy over-fertilizing it? Or black, solid plastic cloth? Thanks
view the full question and answer

Chappells, SC
White sticky stuff on muscadine grape vines from Chappells SC
Muscadine vine has white sticky substance on leaves and vines, what is it?
view the full question and answer

Columbia, SC
Erosion control on slope from Columbia SC
We are in the process of having a new home built in Columbia South Carolina. Part of the front yard has a steep slope starting approximately four feet from the corner of the house and running to the ...
view the full question and answer

Columbia, SC
Climbing vines that are deer resistant
Please find plants that are climbing vines and are deer resistant
view the full question and answer

Columbia, SC
Toxicity of leaves and berries of lantana
Hi Mr. Smarty Plants!!! I live in Columbia, SC and have fallen in love with the Lantana or Lanta plants. I have a lot of them because of their rapid growth. My question is -- in addition to all t...
view the full question and answer

Aiken, SC
Plants to stabilize a steep bank in South Carolina
I would like to use native plantings to stabilize a steep bank. The bank is on the side of the gravel road I cut back into the woods and around a 36" pipe going under the road to allow the free flow ...
view the full question and answer

Blythewood, SC
Space between trees from Blythewood SC
I'm planting 4 green giants in a back corner of my yard. I also have a kumquat tree to plant. I have somewhat limited space. What is the minimum spacing between the four green giants and the green gi...
view the full question and answer

North Augusta, SC
Evergreen flowering shrub for North Augusta GA
I need suggestions for shade-loving evergreen flowering bush that will grow 6 feet or so, besides azaleas.
view the full question and answer

North Augusta , SC
Plants for erosion control along creek in South Carolina
We have a creek that runs thru our property and it is eroding our rip rap. The creek runs head on into an embankment which is causing the worse issue. Is there anything we can plant to help stop the e...
view the full question and answer

Augusta, GA
Plant identification for vine in Georgia
A wild vine is taking over our cypress tree. Cypress tree is in our yard beside the fence. Very thick woods behind our fence. Leafs, on vine, resemble small maple leafs. It has orange flower balls....
view the full question and answer

Augusta, GA
Plant identification
I'm trying to figure out the name of a plant/shrub purchased a couple years ago. It was a shrub (about medium sized) with yellow blooms that smelled like lemon. I don't think it was lemon balm or le...
view the full question and answer

Ridgeway, SC
White specks on unknown houseplant from Ridgeway SC
I have an unknown houseplant that seems to have some sort of pest or disease on it. It has white snowy specks atop its leaf. I bought this purple fuzzy leafed houseplant from Walmart in Winnsboro, SC ...
view the full question and answer

Ridgeway, SC
Need a pretty ground cover to control erosion in Rigdeway, SC.
What is a fast, pretty ground cover blanket to control erosion on steep hill. gets full sun.
view the full question and answer