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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!

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Questions From Near You

Quitman, TX
Butterfly gardening in Quitman, TX
We want to establish a butterfly garden in our back yard. What plants should we establish to attract the butterfly for food and host planting?
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Winnsboro, TX
Native Grasses for Winnsboro, Texas
What would be a good grass to plant in East Texas near Winnsboro? My soil is sandy.
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Winnsboro, TX
Privacy hedge for East Texas
I need suggestions for a native shrub/bush as a privacy hedge for East Texas conditions. Thank you.
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Winnsboro, TX
Plants to stabilize a steep slope in east Texas
We have a very steep dirt dam in Winnsboro TX, full sun, and burmuda and rye grasses have not been enough to keep from having some mud sliding. We keep adding clay and reworking but want to preserve t...
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Emory, TX
Unknown ailment of Turk's cap in northeast Texas
I just moved from the Dallas area to Emory in the north east part. I brought two young Turk's cap plants in pots. I had to leave the mother plant behind. The tops have a very curled and shrunken a...
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Emory, TX
Native Plants for Emory Texas
I live in Emory Texas want to plant native plants in my yard. I am new to Texas and need help.
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Lindale, TX
How to eliminate Sawgrass from a small lake in Lindale, TX?
We live on a small acre lake (about 65 acres) and the majority of the lake is surrounded by what the locals are calling saw grass. From the description on the website, I believe they are correct. The...
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Scroggins, TX
Native bamboos from Scroggins TX
Can you please recommend a NATIVE bamboo for NE Tx? We live in the Piney Woods in a lake community.
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Lindale, TX
Care for non-native Centipede grass
My lawn is Centipede. I have created a new lawn area. Can and when should I seed/overseed my lawn? I have Rye in the new area.
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Lindale, TX
Is Sedum recommended for a greenroof project in Houston
Would you recommend using Sedum for a green roof project in Houston, Texas? Will the humidity effect the sedum? If sedum would be a poor choice, what would you recommend for Houston?
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Van, TX
Need suggestions for a privacy screen besides Murray Cypress.
Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in NE TX, about an hour east of Dallas on I-20. I hear interstate traffic behind my house, and have a busy street on its left side, and a school adjoining in back. I thi...
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Van, TX
Need information about broadcasting wildflower seeds in a pasture 70 miles east of Dallas, TX.
We recently moved to upper east TX - 70 miles East of Dallas. I would like to broadcast wildflowers in our pasture. I'm assuming I'll need to wait until next fall, but not sure about that. Can you t...
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Van, TX
Identity of mystery plant in non-native commercial forage mix
Dear Smart One, I use a commercially prepared, fortified, chopped forage based on a mix of orchard and Timothy grasses. The bags are shipped in from out of State. However, I have been finding short s...
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Van, TX
Contacts for finding wildflowers in Texas
Do you have a website or phone number for updates to find blooming wildflowers?
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Lake Cypress Springs, TX
Deer Resistant Plants for East Texas
We have a lake house at Lake Cypress Springs, between Mt Vernon and Winnsboro, in East Texas. Can you suggest some deer-resistant plants/shrubs that have the potential to last? I understand deer wil...
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Sulphur Springs, TX
Identification of possible wild plums thickets
I have several "thickets" of small shrub/bushes on my land that I hunt on. These small trees are usually 5-7 feet tall, always grow in thickets of ten to up to sixty or so bushes. They are always lo...
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Point, TX
Non-flowering mimosas in Texas
I have two mimosa trees, about 3 years old. Both were grown from volunteer seedlings. Neither have flowers nor have they produced seed pods. Are they too young or do they need a source of pollenation...
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Edgewood, TX
Plants for privacy screen in Edgewood TX
Can you recommend a large fast growing tree, shrub, etc. that can give me some privacy from my neighbor across the street that likes to use his binoculars? I live in East Texas on about 10 acres.
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Winona, TX
Can a fallen tree in Texas have pieces of it removed from Winona TX
I was wondering if you could tell me if a tree has fallen down, is it legal for me to go and cut pieces off of it in the state of Texas. And if you happen not to know could you tell me who I would con...
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Gilmer, TX
Native grasses for Gilmer TX
I would like to get some native grasses growing on our farm that are good for wildlife - barnyard grass - sedges - smartweed - have read and heard that all I need to do is disc and fertilize - yes/no ...
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Gilmer, TX
Landscaping help for Gilmer, TX
We have just moved to the beautiful hot state of Texas from warm California and we need some help! Our roses are dying, we have a patch about 25ft. by 3ft. that gets the rain run off like a little str...
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