Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members 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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Smarty Plants Question Topics
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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| Replacement for Globe Thistle in Virginia June 15, 2013 Hi, We are trying to get our garden to be 100% North American Native and are at about 90% native to our region. One of the last plants we have to replace is our Globe Thistle. Do you have a good r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Brown rings on grass under live oaks in Austin June 13, 2013 There are brown rings in the grass at the dripline on several Live Oak trees in our neighborhood. What causes this? The trees appear healthy. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What's invading my bermuda grass? June 11, 2013 Our grass is being totally overrun by this weed.(I don't know what the name is identify it by the description. It is in Bermuda grass and the only way to describe the weed is to say it looks like big... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problem With Vegetable Garden Soil June 09, 2013 We live in Liberty Hill on 25 acres and we are working to restore native grasses and plants. We are ardent supporters of the Wildflower center. I say this because my question is not "typical" of wh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Difference beteen two non-native photinias from Nashville TN June 07, 2013 What is the difference between red tip phontinias and fireball phontinias. I read that fireballs are also called red tips but I thought that red tips grow to like 12 ft. and the tag on the fireball I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why aren't the Caesalpinia species in the Native Plant Database June 07, 2013 Why doesn't the Wildflower Center list Caesalpinia in its plant database? I grow 3 species in my garden with no coddling: C. mexicana, C. gilliesii, and C. pulcherrima. I underst... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with non-native Callery Pear tree from Louisville KY June 03, 2013 I have a Cleveland select that has a bark issue. It is on its second season and I just saw this. It looks like the bark is bubbling up kinda and then wants to peel off the main trunk. I have a picture... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native pothos ivy from Houston May 30, 2013 My pothos devils ivy is about 5 years old and grows outside. A couple of years ago its leaves became spectacularly large, like 12" wide and its stalk about 1 - 2" wide. A couple of years ago i gui... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native, invasive creeping fig in Webster TX May 26, 2013 We've recently moved into a new home in the southeast Houston area. The back of our property has a long concrete wall (gets quite a bit of sun), which we thought we could cover with a spreading vine.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of insects on crepe myrtle in Florida May 22, 2013 I have large colonies of striped bugs on large crepe myrtle in my backyard. They stay in large groups and have long antennae. There are larger black bugs among the groups that appear to corral and g... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native ligustrum in non-native fescue in Medina TX May 22, 2013 Is there an effective way to kill baby ligustrums coming up in my fescue yard without harming the grass? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native replacement for bamboo from Houston May 21, 2013 I've read one reply where you do not advise using Bamboo as a privacy fence plant. What do you suggest in its place? The suggestions on the one I read will not work for me. Your suggestions were My... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native Star Jasmine poisonous to dogs from Dallas May 20, 2013 Is star jasmine poisonous to dogs? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs and trees over septic tank in Killen AL May 20, 2013 Our church has 5year old blue rug juniper, a crape myrtle and two shrubs I can't identify planted over the septic tank which is surrounded with concrete and asphalt. I am afraid these will cause a pr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Will non-native hostas do well in South Carolina from Seneca SC May 20, 2013 I am moving to SC from CT and want to bring some of the hostas I grow in CT. If I plant them in the shade in SC, will they do well down there? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growing non-native Knockout roses and golden euonymus together from Crystal City MO May 19, 2013 Can you plant knock out roses and golden euonymus together? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native and invasive bamboos from Staten Island, NY May 19, 2013 Hi I put some black Bamboo and some bias Bamboo in a large container about 6ft by 2ft and ht 18 inches .How can I get this Bamboo to thrive ? Suggestions on types of plant food or fertilizer or ant t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native vines poisonous from Bakersfield CA May 17, 2013 Are pink bower vines and stars and stripes mandevilla toxic to dogs? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native alternative to Japanese grass from Lake Jackson TX May 16, 2013 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. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning practices from Austin May 16, 2013 I need to do some pruning in my front beds and I know nothing about plants. From what I have been able to identify I have bicolor irises, plumbago, Japanese Aralia. I don't even know where to begin o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 10 year old Wisteria fails to bloom in Rockwall, TX. May 15, 2013 I love wisteria. I had four (4) wisteria plants professionally planted at least ten (10) years ago. These wisteria plants have NEVER bloomed. Why not? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with non-native petunias from Hodgeville, KY May 12, 2013 Planting petunias again in a house border bed.. It has been a tradition for 30+ years to plant the small upright petunias in this particular bed. It started as a Mothers Day gift to my Grandmother, ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can non-native coleus grow in mulch from San Antonio May 12, 2013 Can Coleus plants grow in Mulch only? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Root ball disintegrating on Arroyo sweetwood from Dripping Springs TX May 11, 2013 I just purchased a arroyo sweetwood in a 5 gallon container and when I went to put it in the ground the root ball completely fell apart. I put it in the ground and watered it really good. What are its... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for indoor container gardening from Lax Vegas NV May 10, 2013 What is an good flower to grow in a pot? I live in a apt., and like roses,tulips etc. if that helps any. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cat eating yucca stalks in England May 07, 2013 Is it safe for my cat to eat yucca as she is being sick and its hard to stop her View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing non-native daylilies from Albuquerque May 05, 2013 Need some tips on planting daylilies in the Northeast heights of Albuquerque. I've amended clay soil with cottonbur mulch/compost mix and added gypsum. Can I do anything else to ensure growing succes... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source for non-native Crown of Thorns from Bulverde TX May 04, 2013 Can you please tell me where I can buy a Crown of Thorns plant in or near Bulverde, Tx. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dying non-native St. Augustine grass from Austin May 02, 2013 Although we all know St. Augustine grass is not a good thing, I am stuck with it and am trying to save areas that appear to have take-all fungus. I have done much reading online and have tried peat m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removing bermudagrass from buffalograss in Smithville TX May 01, 2013 I have a lawn created two years ago with buffalo grass sod in Smithville, TX. Recently several areas of bermudagrass have started to flourish in the buffalo grass lawn. Can you recommend a herbicide... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing non-native grapefruit from seeds from Austin April 30, 2013 Can you grow ruby red grapefruit trees from seeds? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native invasive henbit from Round Rock TX April 27, 2013 I've read in this book "Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants" that Henbit is an invasive plant in Texas. I've also read that it provides an early source of nectar to bees and butterflies when li... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dog-proof grass from The Woodlands TX April 26, 2013 I am looking for a hardy grass that can tolerate female dogs urine. Zoysia was suggested but I am concerned about it being invasive. Any suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Invasiveness of Cosmos from Decatur GA April 26, 2013 I have been searching for an answer concerning the invasive plant Cosmos. I know that Florida declares this but I have not been able to find out does Georgia? And specifically,is it only the yellow Co... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native daylilies for steep hill in Manassas VA April 25, 2013 Would like to plant steep hill w perennial flowering plants like daylily. The daylily farm said this would work great but not sure if we should lay landscaping fabric and poke through holes to plant ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source for non-native, invasive Winter Honeysuckle from Austin April 24, 2013 Seeing Lonicera abiflora today reminds me of the "winter honeysuckle" my grandfather grew in San Antonio from 1920s or so through the 1950's. It was a bush with stiff upright stems and bloomed cre... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Foxglove safety from England April 21, 2013 Hi, regarding safety of foxgloves grown near edible plants - foxgloves are good companion plants for vegetables, in case of root vegetables they improve their storage life and quality. Foxgloves prote... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Bulletproof plants from Burleson TX April 18, 2013 I recently wrote you a question concerning planting a privacy plant consisting of wax leaf ligustrum on my country property. Your answer was immediate (thank you-I am impressed). I like the wax leaf ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growing kudzu in Las Vegas NV April 18, 2013 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a question about a known invasive species that I know you advise against, but I feel my situation may be different enough that it's worth asking about. Yes, I'm talk... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bees on non-native holly from Oakland TN April 18, 2013 I have bees all over my Nellie Stevens holly. Can I spray anything to alleviate this issue? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing Giant Pumpkins in Georgia April 15, 2013 I have tried to grow giant pumpkins in the Atlanta, GA area. Each year I lose several strong plants to vine borers. I have tried tin foil wrapped around the stems, and I even painted the stems with Se... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of red/yellow/black flower in California April 15, 2013 Plant found, April Mount Diablo CA 6 symmetrical petals red with a pattern of a yellow flower with black edge in the centre, I can not identify, please help. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Covering dead arborvitae with non-native ivy from Niles MI April 14, 2013 I have a severely thinning arborvitae hedge. It is probably too shady, but I want the privacy. I'm thinking of planting something like ivy to fill the gaps. I know it will probably kill the hedge, bu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Privacy screening from Phoenix AZ April 14, 2013 I live in the center of Phoenix, Az. On the eastern side of my house we have some 2 story condos next door. The width of the side yard is about 12'-15' and it gets lots of shade. I also have my powe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of non-native Grape Hyacinth April 13, 2013 Mr Smarty Plants, can you tell me please, what is the name of the flower in the attached link? I see numerous references to it as blue bells or bluebells, but when I check the USDA Plants database, no... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Toxicity of non-native red-tip photinia to fish from Friendswood TX April 10, 2013 Mr. Smarty Plants, I have seen several questions on Red Tip Photinia (RTP) concerning toxicity to horses, dogs and children. We recently lost over 100 gold fish and 6 large KOI in our man made back ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Doodlebugs in dead area of Coral Bean from Houston April 10, 2013 I have a Firemans coralbean tree about 5 years old. I discovered yesterday in the middle of the tree there is some deadwood where we have pruned out branches. A couple of the branches were filled with... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants purchased at Duke Gardens From Durham NC April 09, 2013 I went to the plant sale at a local garden this week and bought some very small plants. I am happy to wait for plants to grow but wondered if I need to do anything special. I live in Durham NC and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Privacy hedge for Burleson, TX. April 09, 2013 I moved out to the country away from the hustle and bustle only to find that I have less privacy out there because of open land. I hear children screaming and dogs barking from 1/4 mile away. I want t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure to thrive of passion flower in Tunbridge Wells England April 08, 2013 I planted my passion plant 3 years ago and I have really looked after it. I think this winter has killed it, it looks so dead. I hope it can be saved; there isn't one part of it that is looking healt... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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