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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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Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

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Moberly, MO
Need a deer resistant plant that will grow in clay soil in Missouri.
I need a plant or bush that is deer resistant and that will grow in clay soil. Can you help me?
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Columbia, MO
Propagating plant cuttings in cut potato from Columbia MO
Hello. I belong to a garden group and one of the members posted a "tip" she found in an early 2000 garden magazine. I wanted to see if there was any truth to the tip? Basically the tip was to use...
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Columbia, MO
Pineapple plant care
Hello, I have a new pineapple plant that is still very small 1-2 inches around the fruit at most. The fruit has recently turned a deep yellow as if it were ripe. I am wondering if it can be ripe at su...
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Monroe City, MO
Plant identification
I have discovered a vine growing in my boysenberry patch, perhaps spread by birds, but I can't find it in any books. It has 5 smooth leaves with burgundy, pinkish racemes, much like snap dragon flow...
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Ashland, MO
Are wildflowers in Missouri patented?
Are wildflowers in Missouri patented? If so where would I find a list of them?
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Ashland, MO
Perennial blooming plants for Ashland MO
I am beginning to create a flower bed in front of my house, I do not have a green thumb so I want to know what plants would come back yearly and I can plant now in Mid Missouri?
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Winigan, MO
Storing seed from Pickerel weed
What's the best method to store seed from Pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata) and Arrowhead (Sagattaria latifolia)? Should it be kept wet?
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Quincy, IL
Plant Suggestions for a Partly Sunny Steep Bank in Illinois
I am looking to plant something on a steep clay bank on our Illinois property. It is on the edge of our dirt road with trees above the bank and is partly sunny. What would work best for that type of a...
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Quincy, IL
Spraying paint on White Pine tree trunks
Is there a paint that is safe to spray on a tree trunk without damaging/killing the tree? We have White Pines that have ~16" spacing without limbs & would like to 'camouflage' the bare space. If pa...
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Quincy, IL
Nutlet on rudbekia plants from Quincy IL
On rudbeckia plants, what is a nutlet?
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Norborne, MO
Plants for the north side of the house in Norborne MO
What perennials, plants, flowers, are best suited for north side of house?
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Plainville, IL
Dictionary of botanical names
I am looking for an online resource that will tell me what the botanical names mean, for example, Cornus florida. Why is it named that? Surely somewhere there is information that explains the meanin...
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Versailles, MO
Plants for edge of a field pond in Missouri
I have a 25ft x 50ft field pond in Versailles, MO. What do you suggest for the water's edge plantings so that we might fish over them. Weed eating is eating ME up!
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Memphis, MO
Landscaping for a wedding in Memphis MO
I am pretty new at this landscaping flower thing, but I love it. We just moved out to the country in NE Missouri from Colorado (Huge difference, but love it). We have decided to have our wedding at o...
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Troy, MO
Is Clethra alnifolia toxic to dogs?
Is Clethra alnifolia toxic to dogs?
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Wright City, MO
Native wildflowers for Missouri
I live in the midwest, Wright City, Missouri. I have good dirt, not clay or sand. I love wildflowers. What kind of wildflowers can I grow here successfully?
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Pittsfield, IL
Wildflowers planted in Pittsfield, IL to bloom the first of October
If I plant my wildflower seeds now in Illinois, is it possible they will bloom in three months (by the very beginning of October)?
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Foristell, MO
Sappy dew killing plants under oaks in Missouri
There is a sappy dew killing my perennials.I have several large oaks in my yard. I had different kinds of shade perennials around each base of the trees. But as years have gone by, the different varie...
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Foristell, MO
Plants safe for donkeys in Foristell MO
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Iberia, MO
Propagation of Agave suckers
I'm trying to transplant Dragon Toes Agave suckers. Is this similar to other agave pup transplants?
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Seymour, IA
Can poisonous seed of wild plum be safely removed after steaming from Seymour IA
I read on a related questions that you said the pit/seeds of all wild plums are poisonous. My question is this, can I juice the entire fruit for making jelly without removing the pit first? I have a s...
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