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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

Bryan, TX
Stream Bank Erosion Control for Bryan/College Station
I live in the Bryan/College Station area and need a ground cover to abate erosion on the bank of an intermittent stream. The bank is shaded. Do you have any suggestions?
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Bryan, TX
List of plants with
Hello, Mr. Smarty Plants, I would like a list of all the plants which have been named for Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer. I would like to prepare this information for use at the Washington on the Brazos,...
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Bryan, TX
Death of lantana in Bryan TX
I would like to know what killed several new gold lantana in a single bed that died over the winter. They looked quite healthy last fall. I have several other new gold lantana that survived the wint...
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Bryan, TX
Texas wildflower guide with every flower listed
Is there a Texas wildflower guide that contains every single flower that grows in the state? I have a few flowers on my land I haven't been able to identify because they aren't in the guide I have. ...
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Bryan, TX
Fan-Tex ash tree roots a problem near house foundation from Bryan TX
DO I need to worry about Fan TX roots being a problem near house foundations?
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Bryan, TX
Apartment Landscaping
I live in an apartment and have a small patch filled with rocks and an ugly plant I don't know the name of. I want to take out the existing plants and put something else in. It has to be hearty,low m...
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Bryan, TX
Plants named for Thomas Drummond
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Please send list of plants discovered and named for Thomas Drummond.
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Bryan, TX
Source for mulberry trees from Bryan TX
I am looking for suggestions for nurseries from which I could purchase Red Mulberry or Texas Mulberry Tree.
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Rye, TX
Century plants spread through offshots from Rye TX
How do century plants spread? Are the little ones the babies?
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Iola, TX
Will Thunder Turf do well in shade from Iola TX
Will the Thunder Turf do well in shady areas or is there a better blend of native grasses that would thrive better?
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Irwin, TX
Information about plant called Josephs tears, possibly Jobs tears (Coix lacryma-jobi)
I recently received a plant and was told it was a succulent called Joseph's Tears. According to the individual who gave it to me, during the month of September it develops a little growth at the tip...
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Navasota, TX
Is there a variety of bluebonnet called black gumbo
I live in Grimes County, Texas on the eastern edge of the Blackland Prairie. A few years ago my hillside of Bluebonnet seed was harvested. I was told it was a rare 'black gumbo' variety of bluebon...
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Caldwell, TX
Vines free from cutter ants from Caldwell TX
What are some climbing vines cutter ants won't eat
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Caldwell, TX
Do any laws prohibit killing roadside wildflowers?
Is there any law or regulation at the state level that prohibits, or at least discourages, mowing or spraying herbicide on the highway roadsides before the wildflowers have set seeds or did we lose th...
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Washington, TX
Privacy screen for barn from Washington TX
We live on a large ranch and have someone now next to us that built a barn on our fence line that we want to make a tree barrier to hide it, so we need to plant trees that will grow at least 15-29 fee...
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Washington, TX
Rattan vine for deer in Washington County, TX
My property in Washington County has a lot of very old rattan vine, much of which is 3" in diameter. All of the leaf and berry production on these vines is well over 50' above the ground. I manage...
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Bedias, TX
Need a tree to replace a large oak tree that may be dying in Bedias TX.
I live in Bedias, TX in Grimes County. One of the largest oak trees on my property looks like it's dying. It's simply not leafing out well. I literally can't afford for this to happen since I depen...
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Shiro, TX
Need help with a Coreopsis eating beetle in Shiro, TX
Mr.Smarty Plants,(Sorry, I kept messing up with my emails) Anyway, here goes: I usually have a beautiful meadow full of lanceleaf coreopsis blooming by now. Not this year. I found to my horror every s...
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Shiro, TX
Groundcover Planting in Shiro TX
I have been collecting seeds from White Avens and Texas Sedge to use as ground covers. What is the optimal time to plant these seeds? We have been experiencing heavy rains in our area lately, so I am ...
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Shiro, TX
Native turkscap failing to thrive in Shiro TX
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Two years ago I transplanted several native (not cultivars) Drummond's turkscaps in the proximity of water oaks in the front yard. All get shade and some sun. They seemed to ...
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Shiro, TX

Hi, thanks for all your help in the past! I have a generous spot in my spacious back yard that is begging to be filled. The top soil is 4" sandy loam, below which is black clay.With frog strangler r...
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