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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!

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Questions From Near You

Seabrook, TX
Screen for utility box in Seabrook TX
Utility box cover: Thinking of using star jasmine on a three sided fence/trellis. Each side 3 ft sq. I can send a picture. Not sure best fence style to use or way to plant. Suggestions? Need cove...
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Seabrook, TX
Site restoration in Seabrook, TX
I have 2+ acres in the Seabrook/Kemah area of Texas and am planning the lawn/landscape. The property is zoned as light commercial and will have one 60X120 metal building. The rest of it is my outdoo...
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Seabrook, TX
Native lawn grass for Seabrook TX
We want to seed our lawn in Seabrook, Tx.77586 with a Natural Grass replacing our St. Augustine Grass. I think there is one that is drought resistant (only water it twice a month.) and that does not g...
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Seabrook, TX
Aggressive Frogfruit
I have frogfruit voluntarily growing in my flower beds. I had intended to use it as a ground cover but am concerned that it is taking over. Will it kill (smother) my flowers that I have planted for bu...
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Kemah, TX
Dying Pine Trees in Texas
I live on the water front street in Kemah, Texas. We took water in the entire neighborhood during Hurricane Ike. That's been a year ago and now I have noticed our pines trees are starting to die. I s...
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Shoreacres, TX
Plant Identification
I have a vine in my flowerbed that has three leaves and thorns and it looks like poison ivy. How can I tell if it is?
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Nassau Bay, TX
Plants That Thrive Under Trees in Texas
I have a flower bed with dense shade (under a mature maple tree and a large mature bottle brush) located on the Galveston/Harris county line just off of Clear Lake. The bed has sprinklers and drains w...
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Nassau Bay, TX
Propagation of American Beautyberry
Hello. I would love to know how to propagate the American Beauty (Texas Location) as I think it is most gorgeous. We lost most of our shrubs/plants in Ike and are replacing them. If I do these from ...
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Webster, TX
Non-native, invasive creeping fig in Webster TX
We've recently moved into a new home in the southeast Houston area. The back of our property has a long concrete wall (gets quite a bit of sun), which we thought we could cover with a spreading vine....
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League City, TX
Damaged oaks from Hurricane Ike in League City, TX
After hurricane IKE, one of our oak trees (in front yard) was partially uprooted from the ground. We did place it back, and tie it down with supports. Further, we inserted fertilizer spikes, and give ...
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League City, TX
Plant identification
I am trying to identify a flowering plant I saw today in Houston. Its leaves are green and it produces beautiful flowers with 4 petals that kind of remind me of a pinwheel. The petals are about 2 inch...
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League City, TX
What insect eats Alamo Fire blue bonnets from League City TX
What insect eats Alamo Fire blue bonnets? Something seems to be eating new seedpods.
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League City, TX
Colony of bees nesting in sycamore
I have a very large, old sycamore tree that has recently become home to a colony of honey bees. They have taken up dwelling in a hollow limb of the tree about 25 feet off the ground. While this is gre...
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Deer Park, TX
Looking for name of fragrant, night-blooming plant with flower resembling gardenia
The plant that I am looking for is a night bloomer, strong scented and has leaves and flowers similar to gardenia. I have seen a picture of the plant but not the actually plant. Can you give me an id...
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Deer Park, TX
Ground Arizona ash wood suitable for mulch?
We cut down a 40 year old Arizona ash tree and had the stump ground into mulch. Can we use this mulch in our vegetable garden and flower beds
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Deer Park, TX
Control of grapevines in trees
Grapevines have overtaken some of the trees on our property in Central Texas. What is the best way to get rid of the grapevines and (hopefully) save the trees?
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Baytown, TX
hummingbird attractants
I live in Baytown, Texas and am looking for a variety of plants that attract Hummingbirds, but are also pet friendly. I have two dogs, so this is a major concern. I am putting the plants in my backyar...
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Baytown, TX
Evergreen fast-growing native shrubs for privacy shield in Baytown, TX
A gas well is going in across the road. We need a fast growing native tall shrub to line our property next to the road. It needs to maintain its leaves in the winter also. We hope to cut down on th...
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Baytown, TX
Vine in New Braunfels for Baytown, TX
I have seen a vine in New Braunfels that looks nothing like the trumpet vine or trumpet creeper; however, the flower is almost identical. The flower is more pink though, and the leaves look more like...
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Baytown, TX
Planting dogwood in Baytown TX
I live in Baytown Texas and was wondering if this would be a good area to plant a dogwood tree?
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Friendswood, TX
Toxicity of non-native red-tip photinia to fish from Friendswood TX
Mr. Smarty Plants, I have seen several questions on Red Tip Photinia (RTP) concerning toxicity to horses, dogs and children. We recently lost over 100 gold fish and 6 large KOI in our man made back ...
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