Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Questions From Near You

Del Valle , TX
Plants that survive Central Texas weather
What type of plants survive the Central Texas region weather for summer and winter?
view the full question and answer

Del Valle, TX
Replanting members of Rosaceae family in same spot
HI Mr. Smarty Plants We had two apple (yellow fruit) trees besides out house and they died. Is it ok to replant in the same place with other trees without being afraid something is wrong with the soi...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Tiny holes oozing sap from Austin
My ash tree becomes loaded with butterflies on the trunk. At closer inspection, I see they are drinking sap which is coming from small holes in the trunk. Are the butterflies creating the holes? I ...
view the full question and answer

austin, TX
Bird nest fungus in Central Austin, TX.
Hi, I live in Central Austin and have different types of ground cover (such as silver pony foot)in my garden and have noticed huge patches of bird's nest fungi in between and under. Every time it ...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Growing Crossvine on a Wrought Iron Fence in Austin
I would like to plant crossvine along a wrought iron fence. Will it damage the fence or the stucco posts?
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Exposed Tree Roots in Austin
I have a large ash tree with a lot of mud at the top of a sloping yard. I want to build a small retaining wall with the ground leveled above. This would entail covering exposed tree roots with 4-18 in...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Vine recommendations for Central Texas homes
I have hardy plank siding and am looking for a Central Texas native vine that will grow over it. I am trying to keep it from growing under the planks.
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Duplicate request for information from Austin
I am considering planting cross vine on a wrought iron fence. Will it cause any damage to the wrought iron or stucco posts?
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Landscaping plant for Austin
Great site! Have gotten lots of ideas. We're about to start construction on a fairly major landscaping project: raised beds/privacy screen. We're at the top of a hill in the Hill Country just wes...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Pecan leaves falling of the trees in Austin, TX.
Why are the pecan tree leaves turning black, sappy and falling off the trees, in great quantities? This has happened since the recent rains, all through the Allandale area.
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Removing Mountain Laurel Seed Pods from Austin
Is it best to remove seed pods from Mt. Laurel or leave them on the tree?
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Identity of very tall plants in Austin, TX
I have these huge tall plants. They don't seem to want to bloom and they are shading out my other natives. They get very tall. 10 feet or so. What is it?
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Potting soil mixture at Wildflower Center from Austin
What potting soil mixture does the Wildflower Center use in its greenhouses for the native plants grown for the Austin Native Plant sales? Is the pH adjusted to match the alkaline soils in this area? ...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Disagreement on amending soil for planting from Austin
In today's newspaper column, you answered a question about transplanting a redbud. You said to follow the instructions on the WFC web site, except you recommended adding compost to the backfill soil....
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Pecan trees too close together in Austin
There are two pecan trees in my central Austin yard. Each is four or five inches diameter at chest height and maybe 15 feet tall. They are within six feet of each other and their canopies interfere wi...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Is purple bindweed good for a screen growing on a fence?
We cleared a bunch of dead trees and tree limbs (mostly cedars and some oaks) on our semi-rural property in Driftwood and now we're left with an undesirable view onto the neighboring property. We're...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
What crops grow in Laredo, Texas?
I have to do a report on Laredo Texas and one of the questions is what type of crops do they grow in Laredo Texas. I couldn't find an answer anywhere and I was wondering if you can help me?
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Non-native photinias dying from Austin
I have some red tip potinias that are dying. The ends of the branches are dying and the leaves are turning brown, I don't think this is the fungus that affects most red tips, any clues?
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Are mountain laurel beans safe to use as rattles with small children?
Is it safe to use the mountain laurel mescalbean pods as shakers or rattles, as long as the pods are not open and the seeds left unexposed? If a small child (very small, who has no way to open the ...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Identification of red lily-like blossom in Austin, TX
Rain at last in Austin! The rain lilies are up, but wait, what on earth is this? Lily like, 6 petals, but a cluster of 6 stalks w/blood red blooms slightly larger than our rain lilies - Off under a ...
view the full question and answer

Austin, TX
Film growing on prickly pear from Austin
We've just xeriscaped our front & back yards. Two of the spineless prickly pear cacti have a beige film growing on the paddles. The film is now moving further up the cactus, and one of the upper pad...
view the full question and answer