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

Baraboo, WI
Wildflowers for bridal bouquet in Baraboo WI
Hi! I have recently been asked to assist a bride in choosing wild flowers for her wedding bouquets. I am wondering if you can recommend some simple, long stemmed wildflowers that will hold up well ...
view the full question and answer

Wisconsin Dells, WI
Possibility of survival of Genus Castilleja in Wisconsin
In traveling through Texas last week we noticed many many little orange flowers which are absolutely fascinating. I found a picture of that flower in your website for Wildflower Days 2005 in the to...
view the full question and answer

Black Earth, WI
Identification of yellow flowers in Wisconsin
We have plants near Madison, Wisconsin that some call lanceleaf coreoposis however I believe they are some type of invasive species. They have yellow flowers, seem to spread by seed. and don't grown ...
view the full question and answer

Madison, WI
Law against planting cottonwood in Madison WI
I was told that there is an ordinance against planting cottonwood trees in Madison, WI. Is this true?
view the full question and answer

Madison, WI
Halophytic biofilter plants native to Wisconsin
I am trying to design a biofilter using native WI plants. These plants must be very salt tolerant and low maintenance (as this biofilter will be used to treat storm water runoff from a salt shed), so ...
view the full question and answer

Madison, WI
Smarty Plants on wildflowers in Wisconsin
May I have information on wildflowers in Wisconsin and how to grow them?
view the full question and answer

Madison, WI
Vines for Madison, Wisconsin
What are some good options for non-aggressive native vines for southern Wisconsin? I am looking for something that can cover a chain-link fence and benefit local insects. I don't want it to take ov...
view the full question and answer

Madison, WI
Vines non-poisonous to dogs from Madison WI
Are there any vines or crawlers that are non poisonous to dogs? Everything I am finding is poisonous, I want to plant some vines up a fence on their kennel run.
view the full question and answer

Deerfield, WI
Tree with brown spots on leaves containing caterpillars
We have a new little tree we planted in our yard and I went over to admire it and on each leaf there is a brown spot in which little worms are living. They are alive and moving around in the pocket th...
view the full question and answer

Hancock, WI
Plant identification
I am looking for the name of plant my Grandma used to own. She always referred to it as a spider plant. The green part of the plant looked very similar to a spider plant but growing around the base of...
view the full question and answer

Montfort, WI
Plant Identification in Montfort WI
There is a small orange flower plant that grows wild along highways and in uncut yards in northwest Wisconsin--We are visiting in Siren, WI and have tried to dig some up and take home to SW WI. They d...
view the full question and answer

Madison, WI
Plants for a hillside in WI
I live in Wisconsin and am currently doing a research project on plant variation on the north and south sides of a hill. I was wondering you could suggest any books to me that would address this issue...
view the full question and answer

Nekoosa, WI
Mystery Ground Cover in WI
I am trying to identify a ground cover plant that has started growing in my yard (I'm in central Wisconsin). It is very short, only about 1-2 inches tall and is very thick covering the ground. It h...
view the full question and answer

Fort Mc Coy, WI
Possible source of dermatitis in Wisconsin
I hunt in a Marshy area in central WI. I have had a breakout on my skin that is not from poison ivy. There is a plant that has pine like needles on it that look like dried up pine needles that is ye...
view the full question and answer

Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Bulbils on Turks cap lily
My Turks cap lily has dark pea size growths at the bass of each leaf. Are these the seeds? How and when do I harvest seeds from this plant?
view the full question and answer

Rubicon, WI
Edible wild plants in Montana
Where can I find information about wild edible plants in Montana?
view the full question and answer

Janesville, WI
Is Mimosa pudica poisonous from Janesville WI
I have just recently learned of Mimosa Pudica also known as the sensitive plant. I see using the USDA website that it can be found in the USA so I think that covers the North America aspect. I have b...
view the full question and answer

Sullivan, WI
Catalpa and maple with dying branches in Wisconsin
We have a northern catalpa in our front yard. It's been there for about three years now and is probably 25' high. This year it appeared to be doing great. It flowered and then all of sudden last ...
view the full question and answer

Stevens Point, WI
Should I Prune Oak Trees in February in Wisconsin?
I need to cut some oak branches but am worried about oak wilt. You told an earlier questioner not to cut in February. I live in Wisconsin and it has been very cold lately. Am I okay to cut the bran...
view the full question and answer

Beloit, WI
Best time of year to trim oak trees from Beloit WI
What is the best time of year to trim oak trees?
view the full question and answer

West Bend, WI
Plants causing skin irritation in West Bend WI
Is there a list of plants that cause blistering in this area? I have a friend who gets it bad every year-I find no evidence of cow parsnip or poison ivy---thanks.
view the full question and answer