Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Questions From Near You

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.
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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.
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

Onalaska, TX
Freeze-back of Hamelia patens in winter in Texas
Will the hamelia patens freeze back in the winter ?
view the full question and answer

Onalaska, TX
Bloom time for Opuntia engelmannii
We are planing a trip to West Texas, El Paso area, in March and can't remember when the prickly pear cactus are in bloom. Can you help!
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

New Waverly, TX
Propagation of mountain laurel seeds
My Texas Mountain Laurel this year finally produced seed pods. How do I go about planting the seeds for a new tree? A few of my co-workers love my tree and I would like to give them either the seeds ...
view the full question and answer

New Waverly, TX
Fast growing shade tree for East Texas Piney Woods
What is the fastest growing shade tree for E.Tx.Piney Woods? We have an area that desperately needs protection from the summer heat. The site is comprised of gumbo clay and there are no other plants t...
view the full question and answer

Groveton, TX
Plants to prevent erosion on slope in Texas
We have an erosion problem developing on the low side of a gently sloping hill. We are in clay soil at the base of the hill with oaks and pines. We have a right of way that is without trees forty fee...
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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?
view the full question and answer

Willis, TX
Groundcover for area under oaks in Lake Conroe, Texas
I live just off Lake Conroe, and my backyard is more dirt than grass. It is under a number of oak trees, and the dirt is more of a silt than a sand. I need suggestions for a quick growing ground cover...
view the full question and answer

Trinity, TX
Looking for native plant nurseries
I am in 75862 zip code which is a long way from everywhere. I am trying to find native plant nurseries within 100 miles. Many sites just talk about native plants, and have photos, but very little info...
view the full question and answer

Trinity, TX
Deer resistant plants for Trinity, TX
I need a list of deer resistant flowers, herbs and plants that would could be planted in Trinity, Texas.
view the full question and answer

New Caney, TX
Flowering vine that will bloom in East Texas in March
What kind of flowering vine will bloom at the end of March in New Caney, Tex. 77357?
view the full question and answer

Conroe, TX
Wild plums for jelly from Conroe TX
Do wild plum trees grow in my area? I want to get some next summer to make plum jelly.
view the full question and answer

Conroe, TX
Need information about oak wilt and Shumard oak in Houston, Tx.
I want to plant a Shumard red oak in my North Houston front yard, with two Nuttall oaks. I keep hearing about something call oak wilt. Is there something I can do to prevent this disease during the ...
view the full question and answer