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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

Lake Jackson, TX
Life span of the century plant (Agave spp.)
I have a beautiful century plant that is blooming. what will happen once the bloom is done? What is the life span of the plant?
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Lake Jackson, TX
Evergreen vine for Lake Jackson, Texas
I have some lattice for privacy that I would like to cover with an evergreen vine or ivy. One is facing to the west, the other to the east. What would you suggest?
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Lake Jackson, TX
Native alternative to Japanese grass from Lake Jackson TX
Is there a native alternative to Little Kitten maiden grass? I was asked to comment on a plan and don't want them to introduce another Japanese plant into our local habitat.
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Lake Jackson, TX
Native Texas plants that will grow in sandy soil and salt tolerant
I am in the US Coast Guard and we are looking to plant some wildflowers. The plants will be near saltwater and may get exposed if the area floods during a tropical storm or hurricane. Being on the Gul...
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Freeport, TX
Smarty Plants on bio-security
Hello, My friend and I are summer interns at the Bryan Mound Strategic Petroleum Reserve Site in Freeport, Texas. Our jobs as the interns is to find a plant that is friendly to the animals around our...
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Angleton, TX
Weed killer and bluebonnets in Angleton, TX
Is there a way to weed my yard with weed killer and not harm my bluebonnets?
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Angleton, TX
Brown patches on St. Augustine grass
I have brown patches on my st. augustine grass, it looks like the grass has rotted from standing water, but the drainage is not a problem, What could it be?
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Angleton, TX
Identity of blue sage-like plant blooming in September in Lubbock TX
This has bothered me for years. It looks like a miniature version of Salvia azure. About a foot talk with multiple stems. Flowering in September. Grows on the hillsides overlooking Buddy Holly Lak...
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Angleton, TX
When and how to transplant a Texas persimmon
When and how should I transplant a 12' Texas persimmon? How much root ball do I need to get?
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West Columbia, TX
Forecast for the 2103 bluebonnet season from West Columbia TX
What is your current forecast for the 2013 TX bluebonnet season? What would be the best time for people coming from out of state to come to TX to see them? What areas are likely to have the best dis...
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West Columbia, TX
Searching for Acalypha amentacea ssp. wilkesiana (copperleaf)
Some species of Acalypha are natives, but the one I'm looking for is Copper Plant or Acalypha amentacea/wilkesiana. Can you give me a source where I can order seed? When I was kid working at a local ...
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West Columbia, TX
Native Plants for Year Round Interest
I'm involved in a paradigm shift from traditional bedding plants (petunias, zinnias, begonias, etc.) to native plants. I realize that native plants have natural life cycles where they look pretty bad...
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Rosharon, TX
Identification of possible Bald cypress
I live in the Houston area, last year we traveled to South Padre Island and,on the way, I noticed a tree that was just beautiful. It looked like a cross between a Norfolk pine and some kind of cycads....
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Rosharon, TX
Legality of using Chinese tallow seeds for Christmas decorations
If tallow trees are on the noxious list, is it illegal to use the white berries for Christmas decorations?
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Rosharon, TX
Hymenocallis caroliniana and Hymenocallis liriosme Differences
A couple of years ago a neighbor gave me three huge bulbs of a type unknown to her. They fit the description of a spider lily. In attempts to identify it I found Hymenocallis liriosme and Hymenocallis...
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Damon, TX
When to plant bluebonnet seeds in Houston
I live south of Houston and have purchased 1lb. of bluebonnet seeds. The seed company told me I could put them out in June-when mother nature does it, however I have read several answers that say to s...
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Alvin, TX
ID for pines along Interstate 45
Along the interstate (45) once you get up past Conroe and closer to Dallas, there are some type of pne tree that grows in the medians and on the sides. I love these trees but haven't been able to id...
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Alvin, TX
Sources for Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera)
I live in Alvin, Texas. I am looking for a small shade tree, that is easy to care for. I only have a small area for the tree. Alvin, Texas is about 30 miles from Galveston. I saw a wax myrtle tre...
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Arcadia, TX
Cold hardy non-native fig tree for Dallas
Do you know the best cold hardy fig tree that will grow and fruit in Dallas, Texas?
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Santa Fe, TX
When to plant Indian paintbrush seeds
I live in Santa Fe, Texas and I've been trying to find the right date to plant Indian Paintbrush seeds but so far have been unsuccessful. I know it says in the fall but that seems to be a broad rang...
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Santa Fe, TX
Identification of seedlings
So..last spring I spread out a bag of random Texas wildflower seed I bought at Home Depot. Bautiful things happened. Since that time I've collected seeds while out camping etc and just been chunking ...
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