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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.

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Killen, AL
Shrubs and trees over septic tank in Killen AL
Our church has 5year old blue rug juniper, a crape myrtle and two shrubs I can't identify planted over the septic tank which is surrounded with concrete and asphalt. I am afraid these will cause a pr...
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Florence, AL
Plant called Jesus in a Manger from Florence AL
Where can I find a plant called "Jesus in a Manger"?
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Minor Hill, TN
Identification of a vine in Tennessee
I have a beautiful vine with clusters approximately 70 feet All the way up a tree in a heavily wooded area. It seems to be evergreen or semi- evergreen. Can you help identify?
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Mt. Hope, AL
Rose varieties for Alabama
What climate and soil types will Rosa Rogosa, a plant that grows in MA, require?
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Lawrenceburg, TN
Plants around swimming pool
What kind of plants can I plant around my swimming pool and will not be harmed by the chemicals of the pool?
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Wayne County, TN
Plants for green roofs in Wayne County TN
Are any of the plants recommended for green roofs more subject to fire during drought conditions? Our application will be on a rustic wood cabin, thus the importance of safety from fire.
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Giles County, TN
Plant identification of vine in Tennessee
I have this vine that grows in my backyard and on the vine there are green balls about half the size of a hedge apple and inside balls are a bunch of seeds. The deer love to eat these. Do you know wha...
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Golden, MS
SITES (or CITES) accredited source for native orchids
Do you know of a nursery which is SITES accredited which offer North American native orchids? I grow as a hobby indoor ones as well as keep my eyes out protecting the outside native ones we have: Spir...
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Golden, MS
Information on orchid Spiranthes odorata from Golden MS
I live in N.W. MS and am fortunate enough to receive 'Wildflower'. Even though it's geared to TX I was wondering if you can provide me information on the Spiranthes odorata that sprang up in my yar...
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Golden, , MS
Interesting native orchids in MS.
I have a stand of 18 Cyp. parviflorum orchids which I tell only few people about. I've been an hobby grower for over 15 yrs. Recently, I noticed I has some Spiranthes growing which thrilled me. Now, ...
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Austin, TX
Problems with non-native privet in Austin
My 2 privet shrubs/bushes facing the east in a shady area seem to be have less leaves and dead flowers, while across a walk way that 1 privet shrub/bush has lots of green leaves with lots of dying flo...
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Savannah, TN
Identification of plant from Tennessee
I was trying to find the identity of a plant my Grandmother grew around her house in West Tennessee. It was a nonflowering plant, about 12-24 in tall, had thornless leaves similar in shape to holly l...
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Culleoka, TN
Juniper-apple rust galls
I have Red Cedar trees in my yard. I have just noticed something that looks like a reddish brown squid-like bloom about the size of a small orange. Is this normal or is it a fungus?
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Huntsville, AL
Effects of concrete patio poured around tulip poplar tree
We have a beautiful tulip poplar tree in our back yard that we wanted to be the focal point of our patio. We had seen pictures of patios with trees incorporated in patios leaving two to three feet of...
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Huntsville, AL
Distinguishing American from Chinese beautyberry from Huntsville AL
How can I tell American beautyberry from Chinese beautyberry when trying to purchase strictly native plants?
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Huntsville, AL
TIF 419 Bermudagrass vs. Zoysia
I'm currently faced with the decision to sod my yard with TIF 419 or Zoysia. Zoysia is double the price so my knee jerk reaction is to go with Bermuda. Proponents of Zoysia claim it requires less m...
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Laceys Spring, AL
Wildflowers that grow in woodlands
Please tell me the names of wildflowers that grow under your oak trees in Texas. I am only familiar with those open meadow plants, not those that live under the deciduous trees. Thank you for your t...
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Laceys Spring, AL
Wildflower blooming in Austin in mid-March from Laceys Spring AL
Hi I will be at and around the center the weekend of March 9 & 10 to exhibit in the Art and Artisan's Festival and plan to stay a few extra days to "wildflower" either before or after. What is you...
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Fayetteville, TN
Controlling seeding of non- native, invasive Paulownia from Fayetteville TN
My husband planted a Paulownia tree against my advice about eight years ago. This summer it has huge seed pods. How do I keep the seeds from invading the wooded area of our property?
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Lewisburg, TN
Plant identification
I have a 50 ft tree in my front forest apartment in Lewisburg, TN garden, that is blooming white cluster flowers. They are slightly fragrant. I thought Carolina silverbell but they have NO yellow stam...
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Columbia, TN
Propagation of Cahaba lily from Columbia TN
My cahaba lilies have so many seed pods. I would like to use the seeds properly to grow more lilies. Can anyone tell me the best way to go about it? Thank you
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