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

Pauline, SC
Non-native jade plant from Pauline SC
Do jade plants grow in South Carolina; if, so where?
view the full question and answer

Spartanburg , SC
Removing and replacing juniper bushes
Hi! I'm pulling up juniper bushes. (just don't like it) I'm getting down to the roots now on one side and I'm having a hard time getting them up. Any recommendations. They are near my drive...
view the full question and answer

Spartanburg, SC
Aggressive vine with purple flowers in South Carolina
Found an aggressive climbing vine with purple flowers in out vegetable garden. This garden was cleaned and new dirt, mulch and manure was put in in the spring. It was raked out after the infusion of d...
view the full question and answer

Spartanburg, SC
Replacing non-natives and kudzu in Spartanburg SC
I would dearly love to cut down the red tips and leland cypress, as well as the 2 Savannah hollies and 15 ft cleyera which the kudzu has overrun along my property line, get rid of a chunk of lawn and ...
view the full question and answer

Spartanburg, SC
Native Groundcovers for Spartanburg, SC
I need suggestions for native groundcovers for Spartanburg, SC. The area to be covered is a fairly steep slope, with a lot of afternoon sun. In the morning, some areas remain shaded until noon whil...
view the full question and answer

Inman, SC
Evergreen native plants for slope in South Carolina
We would like to plant an evergreen garden in our backyard, which is on a slope. It receives the sun from approx 9-4. We have an above ground pool, and patio area. Would also like a recommendation of ...
view the full question and answer

Inman, SC
Problems with non-native weeping willow in Inman SC
I planted a weeping willow tree last summer and it thrived wonderfully. This year the buds have came out but it has yet to produce leaves where all the others in this area has. I am wondering maybe if...
view the full question and answer

Gaffney, SC
Are beautyberry bushes toxic to horses?
Are beautyberry bushes toxic to horses?
view the full question and answer

Simpsonville, SC
Grass for dense shade in Simpsonville SC
We live in Simpsonville, SC. Our back yard leads back into very dense woods. It is extremely shady, virtually no direct sun for any length of time. We have a hard time growing grass here. What type of...
view the full question and answer

Simpsonville, SC
Grasses for a wildflower meadow in Greenville, SC
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I have been establishing a wildflower meadow in Greenville, SC. Our current wildflowers are: Purple Coneflower Perennial Black-eyed Susans Cardinal Flower Butte...
view the full question and answer

Simpsonville, SC
Privacy screen from Simpsonville SC
My neighbor cut down his part of our shared woods so now we see his whole "outside patio area". What kinds of fast growing shade loving trees and shrubs can we plant on our property line that will c...
view the full question and answer

Simpsonville, SC
Shade and Rain Garden in South Carolina
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I have two seperate but important questions for your mastery of native plant knowledge. First, I live in a thick, 112 ft. tall white oak forest. Therefore, there is lot...
view the full question and answer

Landrum, SC
Trees poisonous to horses from Landrum SC
Please tell me if the following trees are poisonous to horses: hickory, beech, poplar, and redbud. Thank you very much.
view the full question and answer

Greenville, SC
Native plants for a garden in Greenville SC
Beebalm, Threadleaf Coreopsis, a Yaupon Holly, a Southern Magnolia, and a Highbush Blueberry. And as a ground cover in some areas, we have Cinquefoil (which helped me choke out Indian strawberry!) But...
view the full question and answer

Greenville, SC
Attracting birds in Greenville, SC
Hi, I live in Northeastern South Carolina near the mountains and I am making a shade garden in my back yard. I also want to attract birds to my yard. There are 100 ft tall and even some 125 ft tal...
view the full question and answer

Greenville, SC
Problems with Eastern hemlock in Greenville SC
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a beautiful, young, 5 and a half foot tall Eastern Hemlock. I purchased and planted it two years ago in the fall. It has been doing very well all this spring. And ne...
view the full question and answer

Greenville, SC
Number of plant species existing in South Carolina
Where can I find the number of known or estimated number of plant species existing in South Carolina? I have tried several search engines, but perhaps I am not wording my query properly. Thank you f...
view the full question and answer

Greenville, SC
Planting grass seed in Greenville SC
What type of grass seed is best to use in a sunny/ shady area where some grass is already growing? And how is the best way to prep the area for seed and fertilizer or what should I do before and after...
view the full question and answer

Greenville, SC
Retention ponds for states in southeast, from Greenville SC
We provide maintenance for Stormwater detention ponds and are looking for native grasses to plant in the bottom and sides of typically dry detention basins. Prefer low growing grasses that spread to...
view the full question and answer

Greenville, SC
Fasciation on brown eyed Susan
I have a flower in my garden that blooms every year. This year I have a very strange breed--there is a double flower. I do not know the name of the flower or what kind it is. I only know we nickname...
view the full question and answer

GREENVILLE, SC
Plant identfication
While visiting a lake near Dallas, Texas this past summer, I found a flower floating in the lake. It was small, only about an inch or so across, had three petals, was a deep magenta shade, and had th...
view the full question and answer