Native Plants
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
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Questions From Near You
Waxahachie, TX
Part shade garden to attract hummingbirds in Texas
We are inexperienced gardeners. We have a bed (2.5' x 6') with sun in the morning and shade in afternoon and want to attract hummingbirds. Salvia coccinea sounds easy, but what else could we plant...
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waxahachie, TX
What causes rock rose branches to snap off?
my small texas rock rose branches keep snapping in the center. What is causing this and what can I do?
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Waxahachie, TX
Source for Dioscorea floribunda or D. villosa
Can you furnish me with a source for growing my own Dioscorea floribunda, or , Dioscorea villosa?? Many thanks.
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Waxahachie, TX
Elaeagnus sudden death in Waxahachie, TX
I live in North Central Texas and have eleagnus planted along my fence in full sun. Last year one dropped all it's leafs and died. The same is happening to one beside it this year. I have sprayed ...
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Ovilla, TX
Identification of tree in Ovilla TX area
Can you identify a tall,(wild?) tree covered with fragrant, pink/lavender blooms? Have seen several in the Ovilla area this spring.
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Ovilla, TX
Trees and shrubs that are not poisonous to horses
What non poisonous trees or shrubs or hedges would work for being near horses?
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Midlothian, TX
More on bluebonnets
I am flying a photographer in on April 7, 2005, for a special art project on Bluebonnets. We have 3 days set aside for the shot. Where are THE best places to capture Bluebonnets in the wild?
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Midlothian, TX
How to combat weeds growing in mulch
Trying to decide on either ground cover plants, or some type of gravel. We have a new house where the builder has planted small shrubs in the full sun flower bed next to house. The bed has mulch at th...
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Midlothian, TX
Locales for photographing wildflowers in Dallas, TX area
My daughter has a project for school where she has to find and take her picture with 20 different Texas wildflowers and identify them. We have found some of the more common ones, but I was wondering ...
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Midlothian, TX
Non-toxic Groundcover for North-Central Texas
I need a creeping ground cover for shade that is non-toxic to dogs. I had planned on Swedish ivy until I read it was toxic. Is Asian jasmine toxic? Or, do you have any suggestions?
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Midlothian, TX
Making Tea from Croton monanthogynus
Do you have any other information on the value of croton monanthogynus as a tea? Nutritive value? Possible adverse reactions?
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maypearl, TX
Planting time for bluebonnets
When is the best time to plant bluebonnets?
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DeSoto, TX
Identifying native grasses in DeSoto TX
I want to plant my 1.5 acre yard in a native grass; there are already some grasses growing there. How do I identify this grass? Thanks
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Ennis, TX
Plant identification
This plant will grow 12-15 feet or more in height in the rural areas of Ellis County south of Dallas. In a fractal manner, stems grow out of the stalk and then from the stems. The leaves are green, th...
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Ennis, TX
Native plants for shade in Ennis TX
My house faces south. The southwest side of the front yard has a Pride of Houston, Japanese Barberry, 2 crape myrtles and some dwarf yaupon hollies. The other section, divided by a stairway to the p...
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Ennis, TX
Can bluebonnets be made into jelly from Ennis TX
Are Texas bluebonnet flowers okay for human consumption? I have seen recipes for wild violet jelly,so was wondering about making bluebonnet jelly from the bluebonnet blossoms if they are not poisonous...
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Ennis, TX
Good website for identifying wildflowers
What is a good website to identify wildflowers? I have done Google searches and none of the websites seem to help. Where should I go?
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Cedar Hill, TX
Best mulch from Cedar Hill TX
What is the best mulch to use around trees,azaleas and plants in Cedar Hill, Tx?
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Cedar Hill, TX
Butterflies and larval hosts in Dallas County
My class is starting a butterfly habitat at school. We have researched plants that attract butterflies, however we forgot to look for plants that feed the caterpillars and we want to provide the expe...
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cedar hill, TX
Pruning of native perennial blooming plants
Hello -
I am still a newbie at using Native Texas plants (but loving them!), and I need pruning assistance. When (and how much) do I prune: hot lips salvia, hummingbird bush (anisthcanthus wrightii...
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cedar hill, TX
Evergreen native shrubs for poor drainage area in Cedar Hill, TX
Hi! I have one (big!) bed in on the front of my house. Due to the way the house/motorcourt is built, that area (when it rains as much as it did last year!) doesn't drain well. I now have to replac...
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