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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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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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topicquestion
Color year round, welcome to Austin Texas.
December 04, 2011
I am new to Austin and want to plant colorful flowers for fall and winter that get a "wow" reaction. I have not seen much at the local nurseries. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!
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Hungry turtles trample pond in Houston Texas
October 17, 2011
I have a very large back yard pond (actually, a former swimming pool) that's home to a bullfrog, four Red-eared slider turtles, and scads of gambusia (little mosquito eating fish). I'd like to add n...
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Source for Crushed Limestone Used at the Wildflower Center
July 01, 2011
Dear Mr. Smarty plants, Do you know where I can find the pulverized limestone that you have at the entrance around the front of the building? It's right around where you have Clematis texensi...
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Will Copper Canyon Daisy be at the Plant Sale from Georgetown TX
March 21, 2011
Can you find out if Copper Canyon Daisy will be sold at the plant sale? I'm having trouble finding it in any of your databases. The scientific name is Asteraceae Tagetes lemmonii. It's a shrubby ...
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Source for Signs at the Wildflower Center
January 24, 2011
Hello. Where can we buy the black, metallic plant identification tags used at the Wildflower Center? Thanks in advance.
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Why is Hamelia patens, a species listed as invasive, in the Wildflower Center database?
September 29, 2010
Hamelia patens (Firebush) is listed as an invasive plant at Invasive.Org, the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, which partners with the US Forest Service, Univ of GA and others. LBJ ...
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Flowers at the Wildflower Center
September 09, 2010
What common wildflowers are in the Wildflower Center?
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Name of speaker at Wildflower Center on maintenance of oaks trees in Austin
July 28, 2010
Sometime in the recent past my wife heard a speaker at the Wildflower Center talking about the pruning and maintenance of oak trees in Austin. We are now in need of tree maintenance services and are ...
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Name five non-flowering species at the Wildflower Center.
April 30, 2010
Can you tell me the names of five non-flowering plant species (true mosses, conifers, ferns) currently growing at your center?
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Color of Englemann's daisy (Engelmannia peristenia)
April 11, 2010
I'm in Austin and just bought some Engelmann's Daisies at the plant sale on Fri. The picture had them with white petals, and your plant database has them with yellow petals. I specifically wanted wh...
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