Native 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.
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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.
Questions From Near You
Batson, TX
Hanging Baskets for Batson, TX
What plants can I put in hanging baskets for my shady porch?
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Thicket, TX
Need to identify a strange plant in my flowerbed
I have a strange plant that I've called a weed in my flowerbed. It doesn't have many leaves but it has round white almost bulbs at the surface of the dirt. The "bulbs" look almost like a small oni...
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Sour Lake , TX
Plant identfication
slow growing woody vine, yellow flowers, (grows butterfly shape leaves with seed in middle of it) in addition to the regular leaves.
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Liberty, TX
Is wild foxglove poisonous to dogs from Liberty TX
Is penstemon cobaea (wild foxglove)poisonous to pets, specifically dogs. I was thinking about adding this to my native Texan wild flower section of my backyard.
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Liberty, TX
Live Oak Mess in Liberty, TX
Should I leave the pollination debris that has fallen from my 3 historic live oaks on the ground surface beneath them or use a leaf blower to remove.
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Providence Village, TX
Survivability of birch trees in Texas
Is it known whether Gray birch (Betula populifolia Marsh) will grow in North Texas? It seems like the only birch variety which might - and how short is a "short lifespan" for a tree?
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Providence Village, TX
Selecting landscape trees for Denton Co., TX
I live in Denton County and I'm trying to select a few trees to plant in my yard. I'd like them to be native or at least "antique" (hardy varieties which have adapted to the conditions without bec...
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Silsbee, TX
Information on non-native Erythrinia crista-galli
I am trying to find out some more information on a plant called firemen caps.. How to grow and sun or shade or both..
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Silsbee, TX
Sooty mold on Texas Sage in Silsbee, TX.
I just saw two questions from December regarding black sooty mold appearing on leaves of Texas Sage. My Texas Sage is two years old growing in the original, well-draining large pot it was planted in ...
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Silsbee, TX
Can bluebonnets grow in a field of Bahia grass in Silsbee, TX?
My question is if you have a field of Bahia grass, can bluebonnets grow there or will the grass choke them out?
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Plum Grove, TX
Plants for shade in Texas
I am looking for shade tolerant shrubs to plant near our carport. We live in Plum Grove, near Splendora, Texas.
I don't want anything with thorns that will scratch the paint or me while getting i...
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Cleveland, TX
Trees for Plum Grove, TX
Sorry Mr. Smarty pants, my question is I live in Plum Grove Texas, I have 5 acres and NO TREES. What trees were on the property were either taken out by Ike, or the twisters that followed. I have boug...
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Goodrich, TX
Fertilizing oaks to produce more acorns
What type of fertilizer would I use on oak trees to possibly increase growth and acorn production ? I have some flooded oak timber that is home to migrating ducks but there is little for them to eat.
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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
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
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 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
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
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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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
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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