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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!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

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Possum Kingdom Lake, TX
Is old fashioned Hollyhock deer resitant?
Is Old Fashioned Hollyhock deer resistant?
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Possum Kingdom Lake, TX
When is the best time to plant or seed after a wildfire?
This past week our 1 acre lake property at Possum Kingdom Lake in north Texas was scorched by a wildfire. No brush, grass or bushes remain, and we're hoping not to lose all the cedar and mesquite tr...
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Possum Kingdom lake, TX
Use of Turffalo in Possum Kingdom TX
Hello, we will be building a retirement home in the hillside area of Possum Kingdom Lake which currently has cactus, cedar, and some live oaks. Our intention is to keep most of the 8 acres natural wi...
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Palo Pinto, TX
Plant identification, Cuscuta sp., Dodder
A neighbor of mine has a vine with no leaves that is attaching itself to her flowering plants. It is yellow in color, just larger than fishing line and has no leaves. It corkscrews itself around the p...
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Palo Pinto, TX
Deer-resistant plants for steep hillside erosion control
Hello, I am looking for advice on native plants to control erosion on a steep hillside in the western cross timbers. This is a shady area under post oaks and cedar elms, in shallow sandy soil mixed w...
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Palo Pinto, TX
Eradicating cactus in Palo Pinto County, TX
I live on a ranch in Palo Pinto County and would like to know how can I get rid of wild cactus.
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Palo Pinto, TX
Watering Oak Trees in the Summer
Should you water oak trees in the summer? Some people say its not good for them. But many trees seem to be withering up and dying in this heat. Especially the black jack oaks. There are also post ...
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Palo Pinto, TX
Care for Vauquelinia angustifolia (Chisos Rosewood)
Hello, I have another question for you. A friend has given me a plant called "Chisos Rosewood" which they bought on a whim but decided they couldn't use. It's said to be evergreen. It's about...
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Mineral wells, TX
Variety of native tall plants for a screen in shady area near Ft. Worth
Hello, we live west of Ft Worth. We are looking for tall plants to form a visual screen along a chain link fence we share with a neighbor. We have post oaks there and it is very shady and the ground ...
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Poolville, TX
New gardener on lawn for Poolville TX
I have never had the opportunity to have a nice yard until recently when I got married. My husband loves a nice yard and we have worked very hard and put in hours of work. We are learning by trial a...
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Graham, TX
Identity of wild plum in Childress County, Texas
I have a Wild Plum follow up question. My wife grew up around the Childress TX area. She remembers going around the creeks and gathering Wild Plums for her mother as a child. Would you have any ide...
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Graham, TX
Calyptocarpus vialis, Horseherb, for shady, mowable lawn
Graham, Texas, Heavily wooded. Too shady for St. Augustine grass. Need mowable ground cover near house. Have heard of something called horsewort, but not able to find anything about it.
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Runaway Bay, TX
Ground cover for a sunny hillside in TX
For many years I have had two beds of English Ivy under medium size pine trees. Home is on a hillside, moderately rocky. Last Spring my yardman persuaded me to severely trim lower limbs of the pines t...
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Weatherford, TX
Why is my Chinkapin oak losing its leaves this spring?
We have a chinkapin oak that was planted about two years ago in our front yard. This year it leafed out nicely but about a month ago the leaves began to roll up, then dry out and fall off. It seems ...
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Weatherford, TX
Lookink for bulbs of German Blue Bells in Weatherford, TX.
I am searching for a plant that is called "German Blue Bells". They are tubular as seed. Like tiny iris only bands around the tubular. The flower looks like a morning glory with an off set bloom....
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Weatherford, TX
Plants for shady courtyard classroom garden in Weatherford, TX
I am wanting to create an outdoor classroom area in the courtyard of my school. The courtyard is enclosed by all four sides and the building is two stories high. It does not receive much sunlight. Mos...
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Weatherford, TX
Native grass and wildflower possibilities for Weatherford, TX
I live in Weatherford, Texas - 20 acres and would love to have a prairie or soft cover throughout the year (less mowing). What do you recommend? I don't know anything about this ... So, feel free to ...
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Weatherford, TX
Replanting a Desert Willow
My desert willow was damaged badly in a winter storm and had to be taken down. Do I need to remove the old root system below grade when I plant a new desert willow?
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Weatherford, TX
Smarty Plants on seed balls
Do you have the recipe for Wildflower Seed Balls? It's where you mix dry wildflower seeds, compost, red clay, and water to form a seed ball and then you throw it. I think the ratio is 1 part seed, ...
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Weatherford, TX
Sun loving plants for flower bed by the pool in Weatherford Texas
We have a 40' long x 2 1/2' wide flowerbed along our pool. It is in full sun with the pool deck across the front and a 6' privacy fence across back. Also, the level of the bed is 18" below the l...
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Weatherford, TX
Plant identification in Parker County, Texas
Hi. Growing alongside a country road, here in Parker County I photographed what I thought might be cardinal flowers. However, in searching books and on the net, I cannot find any quite like these. ...
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