Native Plants
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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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| Plant identification April 20, 2010 I am trying to identify a flowering plant (usually potted) that is commonly seen around homes in Phoenix, AZ. It has a long (1 to 1.5 ft) bare woody stem topped by an umbel of perhaps 15-20 small red... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification April 16, 2010 No pictures only memory. It looks like a dried flower and grows with other wildflowers along roadside. It is mostly purple or blue purple and sometimes called statis. Stems favor dandelions, only t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification March 28, 2010 Found thorny bush in woods near my home that I need to identify. It is a tall shrub (approx. 10 feet) that has very large thorns on its green branches. I don't see any flowers yet. It doesn't appear... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant barrier along fence in South Central Texas March 10, 2010 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: I want to put in an attractive, diverse but tough plant barrier to help stop my dogs from running the fence with neighboring dogs. The 5-foot, open-wire fence is far from the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for dry containers in Dallas March 01, 2010 I have four, rectangular, low to the ground, clay pots on either side of my garage. They face the west and I usually forget to water them. Cactus worked but I planted the kind with thorns! Any ideas... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small shrub with thorns for Austin February 08, 2010 I'm looking for a shade-tolerant 2-3' shrub with thorns, native to Texas (ideally central Texas) - an alternative to Barberry? Does such a plant exist? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning Bittersweet Vine December 29, 2009 I am interested in learning how to prune my American bittersweet. The vine has enjoyed it's second summer in my backyard. I would like learn how to prune it, not only for size, but to help keep the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Thorny plant for fenceline security December 23, 2009 What kind of thorny plant or vine would you suggest to place along a fence for security purposes View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Potted crown of thorns cactus cold tolerance in Marble Falls, TX December 02, 2009 I have a large potted crown-of-thorns cactus. Can it remain outside this winter in the Texas Hill Country? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hardiness of Euphorbia milii from Marble Falls, TX December 02, 2009 What is the hardiness of euphorbia mili, crown-of-thorns? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are Smilax species toxic? October 23, 2009 I have a plant that the agriculture department told me was similax. I have a severe allergic reaction to it, after digging up the roots (potato) and burning them. I had a feeling my lungs inside were ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-blooming climbing rose in Conroe, TX October 09, 2009 I have a climbing rose and it has never bloomed and has no thorns, it was a cutting from another rose bush. I have given it water and fertilize and have mulch around it also. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plant responsible for thorns in dogs' fur October 02, 2009 Do you know of a plant or bush that has very small, very thin triangle shaped thorn? My dogs have been coming in with these in their fur and I want to get rid of the plant/bush they are coming from. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removing invasives plants in Adairsville GA September 29, 2009 We just moved into a new house and kudzu, greenbriar and poison ivy are trying to take over. I pulled what I could out of the trees, cut everything off at the base of the vine. I even tried digging ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Replacements for non-native purple fountain grass in Austin September 26, 2009 Hi-- Just found out that the purple fountain grass I bought (fortunately on sale) is a) not native and b)not perennial. Dang it! If I can find the pots I'm taking it back. I have a part-shade wel... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Thornless honeylocust trees for Taylor TX September 21, 2009 I live in Taylor, Williamson County, in central Texas and I am interested in selecting trees for my backyard. I can't really explain (it may be my Midwestern roots), but I would like to plant three t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Controlling vegetation around retention pond in Williamsburg, VA September 21, 2009 We planted Juncus effusus around a retention pond and various native shrubs last year. We are having a problem controlling bramble,lespedeza and broadleaf natives from taking over and native trees(wil... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mystery plant August 31, 2009 mystery plant, multiple non-woody stems from a single base, thorns like a rose bush,leaves like poison ivy in sets of three with the top dark green underside pale green. thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to prune Opuntia ellisiana in Decatur, GA. August 20, 2009 Hi Mr SP--How do I go about pruning an Opuntia ellisiana? I have saws, newspaper, heavy leather gloves, goggles, etc. But my question is more about what section of the plant to cut. The base has de... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting Sideroxylon lanuginosum in Austin August 12, 2009 I have a tall (30-40 ft) Sideroxylon lanuginosum in my backyard. Last fall hundreds of saplings popped up in my yard following runners from the tall tree. I would like to keep a few of these sapling... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Treating stings from stinging nettles in Indiana August 08, 2009 How can I remove hairlike thorns (as from nettle-type weed)? My hands react within 24 hours with swelling and pain, esp in morning. In past when I have then been able to locate the offending thorn, th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vine like blackberry with 3 leaves & thorns in Florida July 08, 2009 What vine looks like a blackberry vine but has three leaves and thorns? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eliminating suckers from roots of Moraine locust in Hilliard, OH July 07, 2009 We removed a large Moraine Locust tree and also the stump. Now little trees from the roots are coming up. How do we get rid of these so something else can be planted? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Palm tip wound in Sacramento CA June 25, 2009 My husband was stuck in his calf with a palm leaf, he is now complaining of stiffness where it went in, is there any kind of poison in it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low privacy hedge in Houston June 17, 2009 I am looking for a fast growing, dense (for privacy) shrub/s or plants, that will get at least 3-4+ feet high for a mostly shady area. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How do I get rid of Smilax bona-nox? June 09, 2009 Hi, we live in Circle C and our home backs to an easment area which has become overrun with what some are calling wild grapevine. Recently we noticed a different vine coming up in our backyard throug... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Thorny vine growing through hedge May 16, 2009 In my hedge, a vine grows that has a bulbous root. It has large thorns up and down the vine. The leaves are shiny and grow all along the vine that is exposed to the sun. the vine grows up thru hedg... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants that ducks will not eat May 12, 2009 I own a lot of ducks and see a lot of people asking what kind of plants will they "NOT" eat... I know of some through experience.. Anything with shiny leave.. They don't touch my English ivy, rose... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shallow topsoil on rocky substrate in SW Oregon April 28, 2009 I want to plants some shrubs and trees. Trouble is I can't plant very deep. I have mostly rock within 5 inches. Please help. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification April 26, 2009 My brother in law just bought a parcel of land that is bespeckled with shrubs we cannot identify. The land is located in south west Michigan. It is zoned agricultural. Due to the fact that it is ea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Thorns on non-native orange trees in Greenwell Springs, LA April 26, 2009 Navel orange tree has thorns, why is this? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eliminating agave roots in Tonto Basin AZ April 22, 2009 Greetings Mr. Smarty Plants, from Tonto Basin, AZ! We have numerous mature (huge!) Agave Americana plants here, and have, until recently, enjoyed them. However, we are now ready for a drastic landscap... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with non-native Indian hawthorn April 18, 2009 We have some Indian Hawthorns that were planted for us by a landscape company. The first year we got a little bit of bloom. Since then the shrubs don't bloom at all. They are in a flower bed up aga... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification of tall stalk with many thorns April 17, 2009 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants: After we raked all the leaves, I found three or four plants on my property that are thin tall stalks with many thorns. Leaves are just growing, so I cannot describe them. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant Identification April 16, 2009 I have a vine in my flowerbed that has three leaves and thorns and it looks like poison ivy. How can I tell if it is? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What is the name of a green plantin Ohio with white flowers that kind of look like broccoli? March 13, 2009 Last summer I saw a plant that had very full, very light green almost white flowers that kind of looked like broccoli. Do you know the name of this plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need help identifying shrub with large thorns in Tennessee. March 10, 2009 A shrub?with very large thorns. Main stock of plant woody with a gray and white splotchy bark at base. Branches are green and shiney and have very large heavy thorns spaced several inches apart on... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen oak in Washington February 17, 2009 Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in the Pacific Northwest and noticed an oak tree growing near the road that was evergreen (unusual for here). I was so curious that that last time that I passed the tree,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrubs for privacy hedge in Lockhart, TX December 21, 2008 I will be retiring from the US Army to Lockhart, Texas in March. We have a small house with a 6' security fence. I have always been an advocate of Hedges for security, sound dampening and wildlife ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of non-native bougainvillea December 18, 2008 What is the Scientific Name of the Central Texas Ornamental that people call Bogan Vilias. I think that is the correct spelling. The Plant is Perenial. Their flowers are terminal, the petals are in ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of Canopy Plant December 01, 2008 I recently adopted a large house plant from a neighbor who moved away. He called it a 'Canopy Plant', but I'm having no luck with that name when I search for care tips. It seems to be in poor healt... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to plant a gooseberry bush November 22, 2008 Please, if somebody can help, I need to know how to plant the gooseberry bush. Thanks, View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cochineal bugs on cactus November 18, 2008 Mr. Smarty plants. I have purple prickly pear cactus that are developing small white flake like spots, mostly where the thorns would be. Why is this happening and how can I cure it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification, Russian olive or buffaloberry November 09, 2008 Thank you for the info I found here regarding the silver buffaloberry and the russian olive. I need help in identifying which small shrub I have(it is one or the other)that was transplanted here on o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of wild shrub in Michigan October 22, 2008 I have what appears to be a wild shrub that I want to identify. It has green foliage and is bush-like. It is about 10' tall. This fall I noticed light red berries and thorns..after cutting it down... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning native Senna lindheimeriana September 28, 2008 I asked a question about pruning a Texas Senna tree. The Texas Senna I have is either a S. wislizenii or a S.lindheimeriana. It is a beautiful tree that I purchased at a Texas Native Plant nursery. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Are century plants (Agave spp.) poisonous? September 24, 2008 About 2 weeks ago, I was poked in the arm by a Century Plant, which caused a pretty big bruise to form. I didn't think much of it at first, but now, 2 weeks later, the bruise hasn't healed at all. S... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Living fence of native plants for Ojai, CA September 20, 2008 I would like to build a "green fence" about 10-15 feet tall. I live in Ojai, CA where we have VERY hot summers and it goes below freezing every winter. The soil does not seem to drain well..it is e... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for shade in Texas September 14, 2008 I am looking for shade tolerant shrubs to plant near our carport. We live in Plum Grove, near Splendora, Texas. I don't want anything with thorns that will scratch the paint or me while getting i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source for Brazoria Hawthorne September 01, 2008 I want to buy several Brazoria Hawthorn to plant in my yard and need a source, can you help? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eradicating non-native pyracantha bushes in California August 26, 2008 We removed several pyracantha bushes but they keep coming up in other parts of the garden. How do we kill the shoots? Thank you for any help View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification August 19, 2008 Hi, I live in South West Michigan and there is this plant I can't figure out. It has oval leaves in a row on each side of its stems, large thorns, and when the plant is grown it has what seems to be... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are palm leaves poisonous? August 18, 2008 Are palm tree leaves poisionous? Because my dad was doing yard work and was stuck by a palm tree leaf in his calf. His calf has swollen and in he thinks it broke off in his calf. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of shrub with thorns August 07, 2008 I have a plant in my garden that I need to identify. It is a tall shrub (approx. 10 feet) that has very large thorns on its green branches. It is now showing small white flowers. I don't know if i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tree resembling live oak, but with thorns August 04, 2008 I'm trying to ID a tree in our backyard, most of our trees are Live Oaks and the tree in question has a dark almost black and gray bark that looks just like a Live Oak. The leaves are similar but lig... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning and deadheading rosa rugosa while blooming August 01, 2008 Can you prune the dead flowers and branches of rosa rogosa while it is still blooming? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of red raspberry-like berries in Connecticut July 28, 2008 I found some edible berries today in the woods that look like raspberries, are red like raspberries, but don't taste like them at all. They're very shiny red, remove easily from the bush. The flavor... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant with poisonous thorns July 27, 2008 Is there a bush or tree out there that has thorns on it that can make you swell and cause you to feel like you can hardly move you're whole hand. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of prickly vine in north Texas July 07, 2008 While trimming the shrubs around my suburban house I noticed (and my legs were torn up by!) a vine-like plant with small green serrated leaves and millions of small, very sharp thorns. I search Invasi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of thorny plant in Michigan June 16, 2008 i live in southern michigan and have a thorny plant with oval leaves growing in my flower beds. this used to be a grassy area how did it get there. i live on the edge of town. what plants in my area h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of possible wild plums thickets May 19, 2008 I have several "thickets" of small shrub/bushes on my land that I hunt on. These small trees are usually 5-7 feet tall, always grow in thickets of ten to up to sixty or so bushes. They are always lo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hummingbird plants and Indian Hawthorn May 13, 2008 I live in The Woodlands in a new section of homes. I planted some hummingbird plants in full sun and they did ok last year for 4 months, then lost all their leaves and died when the winter came. At ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bloom on non-native Agave attenuata May 13, 2008 I have an Agave Attenuata that has grown a long and unsightly stem.Is there a way to cut the plant portion off and re-root the plant without killing the petal portion? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fast-growing, deer resistant native plants for Kerrville, TX April 28, 2008 I'm looking for a plant that will spread quickly and thickly on a very steep slope. The area to be covered is 60'long x 5'high and is crumbly limestone with full sun and very dry. We have a large... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eco-friendly trees for parks in Brownsville, TX April 26, 2008 Which are the best eco friendly trees for parks? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of a vine with thorns and blue berries. April 22, 2008 > Hello, > We have acreage in Butler County, PA. I recently discovered a vine that I can't identify. It's has many small spines all over the stem, then very large and stiff thorns. It has dark gr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrubs that can be pruned to shape in Austin, TX March 31, 2008 We have some shrubs in our NE facing front yard in Austin in the Steiner Ranch Area. The shrubs are native, and give good flowers in spring and summer, but are not trimmable and I want something like ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Distinguish between Huisache and Goldenball Leadtree March 23, 2008 How do you distinguish between Huisache (Acacia farnesiana) and Goldenball Leadtree (Leucaena retusa)? Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trees to replace Ligustrums, and evergreen vines for privacy screen January 21, 2008 We had 3 ligustrum trees growing along a creek bank in our back yard and under the City of Austin power lines. Our backyard is on a terrace about 7 feet above the creek's flood plain. The Ligustrums ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification December 24, 2007 I have a question about a plant that looks like a fern that has small red looking flowers and has thorns. Also it is very small (probably 2-3 inches tall). I'm just wondering what it is cause it grow... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Management of xeriscape garden and rock mulch December 09, 2007 I have a large xeriscape garden; unfortunately, it is located near some pear trees which drop tons of leaves each fall/winter. The garden is difficult to clean of leaves until I cut back the plants. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to get rid of devils club (Oplopanax horridus) November 22, 2007 please tell me how to get rid of devils club!!! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removal of mature agaves November 20, 2007 Hello- we live in Austin, TX and have a bed of different varieties of agave. They are near the walkway to our house, and are so out of control they pose a hazard to our guests walking up to the house... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shaping of native hawthorns October 21, 2007 I have three young hawthorns that were propagated from a nearby Blackland prairie stand. If I limb them up, will that encourage them to branch more near the top, or will it just ruin the form altoget... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removal of bramble under live oaks and replacing with groundcover September 26, 2007 We have several large live oaks on the front of our 12 acre property in Hockley, Texas. Under and around each oak is an extensive amount of bramble which we would like to remove so that we can enjoy ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bloom stalks on agave plants September 26, 2007 Hi, We have Agave plants in our garden for years. But in the past few weeks, we noticed a giant asparagus looking thing growing out in the middle of the plants. We don't know what it is, but every d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Diagnosis of problem with Parsley hawthorn August 06, 2007 I have a Crataegus marshallii (Parsley hawthorn) that is about 3 years old. It leafed out this spring and flowered lightly. As the summer has progressed, though, the leaves have been dropping premat... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Juniper as host of cedar-apple rust July 17, 2007 Thanks for the helpful advice on the Eastern Red Cedar. I was wondering if you could ease my mind about a potential problem. I have read up on some of the native plants in my area in a very good book ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Control of Smilax bona-nox (saw greenbrier) June 15, 2007 We have some property near Round Mountain, Texas. Under and in the oak trees is a vine that has a heart-shaped, shiny leaf and nasty thorns. I'd like to know the name and how best to try to get rid... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Thorns on non-native orange trees March 04, 2007 I just moved into a new home that has orange trees in the yard. The tree trunks and limbs are thorny. What kind of oranges are they? How should I care for them? Is it ok to cut off the thorns so t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Alternatives for non-native Bradford Pear November 27, 2006 Hi, can you please give me some information about the "bradford flowering pear"? I live in Hutto,Tx. I want to know if this is a good tree to plant. What are the benefits of choosing this tree and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Toxicity of Peruvian Lilies (Alstroemeria sp) for food decoration September 04, 2006 Hi, I am trying to find out if I can decorate a cake using live alstroemeria laid on top of the icing. I would not want to eat the flower, just lay it on top to look pretty before removing and servi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Inadvisability of importing plants from one region to another March 03, 2006 I wonder if you could help me. I want to send my friends some conifer trees from England to Florida USA. I went on the Department of Agriculture site and they recommended your site for questions. Than... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dumb question about prickly pear December 23, 2005 This is probably a really dumb question but I am interested in picking the prickly pear next year when it is in season, and was wondering the best way to get all of the little stickers off of the pear... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants to accompany cactus and agave October 09, 2005 What plants would look well with cactus and agave to soften the look of spikiness? Also, a homeowner in our association wants the association to plant a pyracantha at the corner of the street to preve... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Parkinsonia aculeata June 11, 2005 What is the name of the tall shrub I see growing wild around Austin that is delicate, with thin stems and branches, and lacy, with multiple leaves, and yellow flowers? It looks lovely growing in a ma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on spines April 09, 2005 What do you call part of a plant that is needle-like or has spikes or bristles? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for Bumelia lanuginosa in Austin February 24, 2005 PLEASE HELP! I'm trying to plant several trees called Bumelia lanuginosa (synonym: Sideroxylon langinosum). The common names include but are not limited to: Ironwood, Chittamwood, Gum Elastic, Wooly... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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