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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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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

Vidor, TX
Viability and storage of bluebonnet seeds past "use by" date
I have several packets of Bluebonnet seeds and wildflower seeds which have "packed for 2006 use by 3/07". My questions: 1) will these seeds be good for the 2007 growing season?; 2) how should I ...
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Beaumont, TX
Differences between Lantana urticoides and Lantana camara
I have found an orange variety of lantana growning in several location in Jefferson County. Is there any way I can tell for sure if it is L. camara or the native L. urticoides?
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Beaumont, TX
More on bluebonnets
My bluebonnet plants have seed pods (I guess they are, they look like pods of snap peas). Can I collect these or do I just leave them alone and hope they multiply? If I can collect them, what is the ...
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Beaumont, TX
Smarty Plants on pollinators
I am researching threatened pollinators in Texas and elsewhere - bees, butterflies, hummingbirds. I would like your input on the subject.
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Beaumont, TX
Non-native Empress trees in Beaumont TX
I want to grow some Empress Trees in our yard. We have a huge yard and it is right on the corner of a cross street where they have just put a traffic light. People stopped at the light can see into ...
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Beaumont, TX
Companion Plants for Texas Mountain Laurel
I am building a garden from scratch and need help. I want to plant a Texas mountain laurel on each front section of my house in front of a window, and I also want to use Thumbelina Leigh English laven...
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Beaumont, TX
Getting rid of bermudagrass
How do I get rid of bermuda grass in my San Augustine grass?
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Beaumont, TX
Are the seeds of Amberique bean edible in Beaumont, TX
I found one of these growing in my yard. Strophostyles helvola (L.) Elliott Amberique-bean, Trailing fuzzybean. Are the bean pods edible? I read somewhere that they are. Thanks.
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Beaumont, TX
Is Rudbeckia hirta annual, biennial... or what?
The desciption for Rudbeckia hirta says it is biennial and blooms the second year then further down the page it says it is an annual, which is it? Will I see blooms the first or second year?
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Beaumont, TX
Plant ID from Beaumont TX
I live in Beaumont Texas and have some trees on the land I hunt that look like a yaupon but put on a small blue berry that the deer devour in December. I have looked and searched the Internet but hav...
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Beaumont, TX
Plant identification called Touch-Me-Not, Impatiens sp.
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: My grandmother used to have a bed of plants that would come up every year that she called "Touch Me Nots". The flower was about 1 1/2" across, orangey with flat green leav...
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Beaumont, TX
Smarty Plants on Katy Ruellia
What can you tell me about Katy Ruellia? I need something with color that will take the hot southeast Texas summers and the cold/wet winters that stays decent and will flower.
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Beaumont, TX
Identification of Sphaegneticola trilobata as non-native invasive plant
Hello Mr. Smarty Plants, I have some wedelia growing but would like clarification on the type whether it is the texana or trilobata. Is the texana a bushy plant? Mine is more of the sprawling/tra...
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Beaumont, TX
Visual difference between Strophostyles umbellata and S. helvola
I know that Strophostyles umbellata is perennial and S. helvola is an annual, but can you tell me how to visibly distinquish between S. umbellata and S. helvola.
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Beaumont, TX
How will winter weather affect bluebonnets this year?
Just wondering how our winter weather this year will affect the blooming of bluebonnets. When are they expected to be in full bloom and what will be their duration? Thank you.
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Beaumont, TX
Identification of a plant that appears to be a pink Merremia.
I recently discovered a plant growing locally that was not blooming, but based on the leaves and seed pods I thought it might be Merremia quinquefolia. This week I was able to catch it blooming and th...
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Beaumont, TX
Looking for source of Carex texensis in Beaumont, TX
Looking for Carex texensis, the only place I find it is in Tennessee or North Carolina. Should I buy it online from those places to put in Beaumont, TX?
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Nederland, TX
Native Texas Plants for a Terrarium
I have a 55-gallon aquarium that I would like to make into a terrarium. Are there any Texas native plants that would do well in the limited artificial light of the tank? The plants should be of varyin...
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Nederland , TX
How to distinguish Malvaviscus arboreus from M. a. var. drummondii?
I have a Turk's Cap plant. How do I tell if it is Malvaviscus arboreus or Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii?
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Nederland, TX
Replacement of black willows killed by Hurricane in Nederland, TX
Hurricane Ike wiped out all the native black willow trips in Texas Ornithological Birding Sanctuary in Sabine Pass and 5 miles down the road at Sea Rim Park. We had hoped that after 1 1/2 years, they ...
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Nederland, TX
Differences between Ratibida columnifera and Ratibida peduncularis
How do you tell the difference between Ratibida columnifera and Ratibida peduncularis. On NPIN columnifera has red and penduncularis is solid yellow, but I have seen pictures listed as columnifera tha...
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