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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.

Questions From Near You

Adrian, MO
Native perennials for moist shade in Missouri
I live near Adrian, Mo (s of KC by an hour). I currently have a small hillside that is covered by trees and shaded all day and also seems to hold moisture really well. The hill seems to grow a littl...
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Pleasant Hill, MO
Groundcover for erosion control in Missouri
Can you suggest a ground cover to stop erosion on a slight slope in my backyard? I live in Missouri - the soil is very poor in this area and has lots of rock underneath the soil. The yard drains int...
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Pleasant Hill, MO
Deadheading flowers on hybrid Black Knight butterfly bush
I have two Black Knight Butterfly bushes in my landscape. Should I deadhead the flowers on this bush? Also, should I prune this back, if so, when, how much? I live near Kansas City, Missouri.
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Pleasant Hill, MO
Erosion control near creek in Kansas City, MO
I'm looking for something to plant to help stop erosion on my property. The spot I have in mind is on a slight natural grade heading toward the creek at the back of my property. Any ideas on what t...
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Kingsville, MO
Are there production timing guides for native plant production?
We need growers timetable guide for native plants from seed to salable size. Any already published guides out there?
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Raymore, MO
Appropriate plants for septic field from Raymore MO
Is it practical to plant coneflower, garden phlox, etc. on a septic drain field?
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Lake Winnebago, MO
Non-native Hyacinth Bean vine dying
I live in Missouri and have tried to grow hyacinth bean. Mine drop leaves (after some yellow appears on on them)and the vine turns yellow, then withers to brown. Other places near me grow them beautif...
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Lake Winnebago, MO
Pollination of blackberries in Lake Winnebago, MO
Not sure if blackberries are native, but my daughter got a start of one at a plant exchange at the nature center. Do we need more than one for it to pollinate correctly? We have strawberries growing i...
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Belton, MO
Pruning an oak tree in Missouri in February
Can I prune an oak tree in Missouri in February?
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Belton, MO
Non-toxic evergreen shrub around duck pen
I live in Zone 6a, and am looking for a non-toxic evergreen shrub to use around our fence that pens in our ducks. It doesn't have to be native to our particular state. I have 74 feet of fence on th...
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Lone Jack, MO
Removal of poison ivy by goat in Lone Jack MO
Easy organic removal of poison ivy?? I bought a goat, but you can borrow a neighbors. Always get 2 as they get lonely. They love to eat poison ivy, pull up vine roots and all, and leave the grass.
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Lees Summit, MO
Patio materials under a native oak trees in Missouri
Is it safe to build a pavestone patio (with gravel sub base, Geo tech 101 fabric and sand bed..around two 50+ year old native oak trees? I know concrete would compact and cause damage to the surface ...
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Overland Park, KS
How to remove tannins from acorns
On your web page it says that the edible acorns (example: Chinkapin Oak) are edible if boiled, but the wikipedia article on "Acorn" says that "Boiling unleached acorns may actually cause the tannin...
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Olathe, KS
Cotonwood fluff in Kansas
Two weeks ago my yard, deck pond became covered in seeds/leaves not sure what it is but it looks like oatmeal. Any idea what plant it might come from.
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Olathe, KS
Are non-natives, Dappled willow and Kousa dogwood, toxic to horses?
Are dappled willow trees/bushes or kousa dogwood trees toxic to horses?
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blue springs, MO
General Wildflower Reference
Can you recommend a good general reference book on wildflowers that is not limited by being either regional or a field guide? (I already have Wildflowers Across America.) I am looking for a work whi...
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Blue Springs, MO
Blooms as far as the eye can see
Why are some wildflowers capable of putting on spectacular sweeps of blooms "for as far as the eye can see" such as Indian paintbrush at Vail Pass in Colorado, or bluebonnets in the Texas hill count...
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Blue Springs, MO
Checklist of native plants
I have recently submitted my membership. I would like to know if there is a complete list of wildflowers, that one may check off as they are seen, such as the birders check off their lifetime list.
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Prairie Village, KS
Plant identification from Prairie Village KS
My friend has identified this plant as a Horseweed. It is 3 1/2 to 4 feet tall. Has a thick, fuzzy single stem. Linear leaves, about 3/4 inch across and 3 or 4 inches long with one or two notches on e...
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Lenexa, KS
Native grasses for Kansas City
I live in a Johnson county suburb of Kansas City. I would like to have a section on my yard be native grasses. Can I drive the country roads and dig up clumps of the grasses I like? Will they grow?...
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Independence, MO
Are variegated ginger plants poisonous to cats?
Is a variegated ginger plant poisonous to cats?
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