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

The Netherlands,
Seeds of Pinus engelmanii for the Netherlands
I am living in the Netherlands Europe, I hope that you can help me. A friend of mine has a beautiful Pinus Engelmannii and I am looking for seeds of this pine. Have you any idea where i can buy them? ...
view the full question and answer

Marion, AL
Plants for slope in central Alabama
Our home is atop a 20-25' eastern facing sandy loam slope in central Alabama. It was previously covered w/ kudzu. After 3 yrs. of eradication of the kudzu we are ready to plant with native grasses/pl...
view the full question and answer

Greenville, AL
Diagnosis of problem with Parsley hawthorn
I have a Crataegus marshallii (Parsley hawthorn) that is about 3 years old. It leafed out this spring and flowered lightly. As the summer has progressed, though, the leaves have been dropping premat...
view the full question and answer

Georgiana, AL
Is Norfolk pine poisonous to cats?
Is a northfork pine poisonous to cats?
view the full question and answer

Brierfield, AL
When may I remove seed heads from yuccas?
Soft tip yuccas dominate my home's landscape. When is the best time to remove the heavy seed heads after flowering? In addition to being difficult to work around, the pods seem to attract infestatio...
view the full question and answer

Brierfield, AL
Aluminum foil disorienting insects under plants from Brierfield AL
Does covering the ground under plants frequently attacked by flea beetles with aluminum foil really disorient the insects? But does it also disorient beneficial insects?
view the full question and answer

Calera, AL
Plants with color for steep slope in Calera, Alabama
I have a large steep slope in my back yard that the developer called a privacy break. It has poor soil and gets full sun. I have planted muhly and maiden grasses but would like some color. The slope ...
view the full question and answer

Rockford, AL
Wildflowers for October wedding from Rockford AL
Want to plant wildflowers that will bloom in early October in central Alabama for a wedding. Can you give me any suggestions ?
view the full question and answer

Columbiana, AL
Identifying vine in Alabama
I have a vine growing on my fence and I need help identifying it. The leaves are a large and medium green oval shaped and along the vine there are clusters of tiny(really tiny) flowers.They are a pale...
view the full question and answer

Alabaster, AL
Deterioration of non-native weeping willows in Alabama
I have a small lake behind my house. 8 years ago we planted two nice weeping willow trees, one on each corner of our yard down toward the lake. One started looking bad last year and we cut all the de...
view the full question and answer

Troy, AL
Optimum viewing time for Texas wildflowers, bluebonnets
I will make a car trip from Alabama to Anson, Texas, in the next month or so. I would like to time my visit to see the Blue Bonnets and/or wildflowers blooming. Please advise me as to the best time t...
view the full question and answer

Helena, AL
Houston plants adaptable to Birmingham, AL
I have recently moved from Houston to Birmingham Al. I had a wildflower garden in my back yard. Would the same flowers work here as well? I would love to have the same beautiful colors here.
view the full question and answer

Eutaw, AL
Leaves turning yellow on Banana Shrub in Eutaw. AL
We have a very large (about 12' tall), very old (probably planted in the early 1900s) Banana Shrub in our front yard. It was very healthy until last year when its leaves began turning yellow and fal...
view the full question and answer

Alexander City, AL
Wedding Flowers for Alabama
I am considering planting wildflowers for my wedding in early/middle May of 2016. Could I plant seed this fall and have bloom by late April in time for my May wedding?
view the full question and answer

Alexander City, AL
Wax myrtles dying in Alexander City AL
I have a difficult problem with my wax myrtle plants dying. I have 36 Wax Myrtle bushes, approximately 10 feet high and they are dying, one at a time. They look fine and then within a week the lea...
view the full question and answer

Alexander City, AL
Restoring tornado-damaged property in Alexander City AL
Dear Mr Smartypants, We were struck by the outbreak of tornadoes last spring and our wonderful woods are now unsightly sloping pastures with erosion problems.. many stumps and coils of roots. We are...
view the full question and answer

Tuscaloosa, AL
Volunteer wax myrtles in Tuscaloosa, AL
I have Wax Myrtles growing in my front yard. I have noticed that some shrubs have sprouted in my back yard that have leaves that are exactly like my wax myrtles. Can Wax Myrtles sprout from seed or h...
view the full question and answer

Andalusia, AL
Plant identification of Indian Cane
I live in southern Alabama. We have a plant that is wild but I can not find any info on it. My grandmother called it Indian Cane. The stems are red and you can chew them, they have a sour taste
view the full question and answer

Lacey's Spring, AL
Blooming time in Austin for wildflowers
Hi Mr. Smarty Pants!! I am a wildflower artist coming for my first spring visit to Austin to exhibit in the Artisan's Festival. As a wildflower fanatic, I am hoping to see and photograph some of "...
view the full question and answer

Homewood, AL
Will suckering of coralberry be a problem in Homewood AL?
I am considering planting Symphoricarpos orbiculatus in the yard of the home I just purchased. I am interested in attracting wildlife to my yard and covering over a stump with a 3' diameter. My onl...
view the full question and answer

Jefferson county, AL
Will sprouts under pecan trees become producing trees in Jefferson Co., AL?
Do pecan trees that sprout up underneath existing pecans trees ever amount to anything such as producing and bearing pecans?
view the full question and answer