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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

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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Batson, TX
Hanging Baskets for Batson, TX
What plants can I put in hanging baskets for my shady porch?
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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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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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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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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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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
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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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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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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Livingston, TX
Hurricane damage to pecan tree
The recent hurricane twisted the top out of our pecan tree, leaving a couple still attached but down on the ground. Could we cut all of the damage off and just leave the trunk? Would there be a chan...
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Livingston, TX
Non-native invasive tungoil tree
I believe I have a tungoil tree growing in my yard. How do I care for it and when would be the best time to move it. It is about 6 foot tall and has about 12 seed (fruit) on it. Thanks.
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Livingston, TX
Replacing vegetation lost to hurricane
Between Rita & Ike, I have lost over 40 beautiful trees, most red, white & post oaks. I have 6 very large (7' in diameter) pines that tried to pull up and are now leaning toward my house. They are sc...
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Livingston, TX
Problems with Savannah holly from Livingston TX
Our Savannah Holly standards, planted in spring 2012, are now 10' tall, with 2-3" caliper trunks at the base. Some are in decline or have died. We thought the ribbons holding them to the nursery's ...
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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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Splendora, TX
Native grass for Splendora, Texas.
We have a newly built house on a two acre lot in Splendora (zip code 77372). We would like to seed (the best choice) for grass. What about centipede or buffalo grass? The soil is a sand with clay 4...
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Chester, TX
Difference between white and red berried versions of Callicarpa americana
I have seen many American Beautyberry Bushes [Callicarpa americana] but it was not until I moved into the Big Thicket region that I had ever seen a white berried one. There is no difference botanicall...
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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
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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