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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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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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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

Albany, IN
Living fence to contain sheep in Indiana
I would like to plant a living fence that would also contain sheep. I have researched this but I cannot find a definite list of trees or shrubs to use. Do you have any suggestions?
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Economy, IN
Striped caterpillars on Cornus sericea (redtwig dogwood)
My red-twig dogwood has white/black striped caterpillars that congregate on the underside of the leaves and they are stripping the leaves. What can I do? They almost look like Monarch butterfly larvae...
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Pendleton, IN
Blooming but not berrying American bittersweet from Pendleton IN
I have had a bittersweet plant for years, it blooms but not berries. How do I tell if it is male or female so I can buy the opposite? It is currently blooming.
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Knightstown, IN
Plant identification
I found a low-growing plant with thick spoon shaped light green leaves. It was growing in the edged of a lawn, The leaves almost look like they have fine white hairs on them. It is very pretty, but wh...
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Cicero, IN
Getting Tradescantia (spiderwort) to stand up straight in Indiana
Is there a way to keep Tradescantia plants on a thicker base so as not to fall over? Mine are spreading like wild fire, but most fall over and look like weeds.
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Noblesville, IN
Small native shrub for Noblesville In
Is there a small shrub native to central Indiana that is suitable for front yard city landscaping?
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Noblesville, IN
Non-native crape myrtles in Noblesville IN
Can Crepe Myrtle trees be grown in Noblesville IN 46060? I believe we are zone five.
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Roanoke, IN
Plant identification of shrub with thorns and purple flowers
I have a small tree or shrub, it has very small or thin thorns on the branches. It blooms in April / May. The flowers are purple. My mother-in-law said that it has been around for over 100 years, b...
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Fishers, IN
Deadheading Asclepias tuberosa in Fishers IN
My Asclepias tuberosa plants are flowering well in their second year and also have formed many seed pods. Since I don't need the seeds, will they bloom more if I remove them or is it unnecessary?
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Fishers, IN
Alder native to Central Indiana
I am trying to find out whether there exists a plant named Alnus rugosa. I bought a plant recently that said Speckled Alder, Alnus serrulata (rugosa), but have been unable to determine if this is a c...
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Monroeville, IN
Grasses in Allen County, Indiana
Do you have images of Northeast Allen County, Indiana grass specimens with i.d.? I am a student teacher and am putting together a nature hunt list for my students. Thank-you,
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Carmel, IN
Need evergreen hedge and groundcover for shade in Carmel, Indiana
Our property is bounded by a fencerow that is wooded and mostly shaded by mulberry and hackberry trees during the growing months. We'd like to create a 5'+ tall evergreen barrier on the property li...
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Bunker Hill, IN
Can tulip tree sap be used to make syrup in Bunker Hill IN?
I was just wondering if tulip tree sap could be used to make syrup. I saw the sticky stuff on the leaves and decided to taste test it and it was very sweet, unfortunately I later found out that I was ...
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Fort Wayne, IN
Will a Honeysuckle Shrub Damage a House Foundation?
I'm thinking about buying a honeysuckle bush. I would like to plant it close to my house. Can the roots of this bush cause any damage to the foundation to the house?
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North Manchester, IN
Tentative identification of Echinacea purpurea
We have a garden plant that is 18 inches high with a purple coned shaped flower sticking straight into the air. Can someone help us identify it?
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Troy, OH
Late leafing and early leaf-drop of Ohio buckeye tree
We recently bought a house which has an ohio buckeye tree in the back yard. It stands about 40 feet from a large creek in Troy, Ohio. The tree is about 30 feet tall. A strip of the bark is missing....
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Zionsville, IN
Raingardens in Indiana
I need to have annual native plants to add to a demonstration rain garden to fill in while we wait for the perennial plants to mature. The only plant I can think of is annual phlox. Do you have any ...
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Indianapolis, IN
Creating a wildflower meadow
I have an area 1-6 acres worth that is currently grass that I would like to overseed with wildflower seed. The local native plant nursery says that would be a waste. I don't really want to kill gra...
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Indianapolis, IN
Shady Perennial Groundcover Suggestions for Indiana
Could you please recommend perennial groundcovers for Indiana that are low and leafy, self-spreading, non-invasive, deer resistant, and moisture tolerant; and that are good for erosion control on a sh...
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Indianapolis, IN
Floristic Quality Assessment program in Texas?
Do you have knowledge of a Floristic Quality Assessment program for Texas such as the ones used in Indiana and Illinois?
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Indianapolis, IN
Drought tolerant plants for IN
What are some plants that would do well in an east facing area near my front door? I live in Indianapolis IN. I need something that is drought resistant and will fill in a 4x3 foot walled off area th...
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