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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| Groundcover Suggestion for OK April 24, 2015 I need your suggestion for a groundcover for a flower bed in the sun and in the shade in Oklahoma. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shady Groundcovers for NC April 23, 2015 I have a side yard that gets very little sun during the day and have tried St. Augustine grass unsuccessfully. Can you recommend a groundcover? We live close to the coast in Southeastern N. Carolina... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ground Arizona ash wood suitable for mulch? April 23, 2015 We cut down a 40 year old Arizona ash tree and had the stump ground into mulch. Can we use this mulch in our vegetable garden and flower beds View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| sources of milkweed in Bastrop, Texas April 22, 2015 Where can I buy milkweed in Bastrop County? Can I plant in containers in garden soil? Thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Straggler daisy as a ground cover in Florida April 21, 2015 I live in Hillsborough county,FL. My yard has two large oak trees and is very shady. I am looking for a shade resistant ground cover that will do well for a yard used by children to play. I was told... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen groundcovers for NE NC April 20, 2015 Can you please provide a list of evergreen native groundcovers for Northeastern NC? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for a Shaded Slope in Philadelphia April 17, 2015 I have a small slope along the North side of my house in a suburb of Philadelphia. A small maple tree grows there but most of it gets no sun at all (a large segment is under the tree). I had the soil ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Plants for a Shaded Patio Container in Missouri April 17, 2015 What kind of native plants would grow well in a pot on a fully shaded patio? I live in Kansas City, Missouri. The patio faces north and doesn't get any direct sunlight, but it gets lots of indirect... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Goldsturm Rudbeckia Stunted and Doesn't Bloom April 16, 2015 I have Goldsturm Rudbeckia that never flowers nor gets taller than 4 inches. Meanwhile, my phlox does fantastic in the same area. This area is sand top dressed with black dirt. Please help! Goldst... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Perennials for Bees and Butterflies in VA April 15, 2015 What native perennial plants and trees can we plant to help honey bees and butterfly larvae in Harrisonburg, VA? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen Groundcovers for a Sunny Clay Soil in NC April 15, 2015 We have a landscaping business in Stanfield, NC. We are looking for suggestions for evergreen groundcovers for a sunny clay area. They need to fill in quickly and stay low for 1,600 square feet. Than... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| New Jersey Native Plants for a Raised Bed April 15, 2015 I want to plant some native plants in a raised bed in New Jersey along side a stucco wall that gets direct sun and is very dry due to an overhang. Any suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Wildflowers and Grasses for Texas Acreage April 15, 2015 I recently purchased about 36 acres in Somervell County, Texas where cedar had been bulldozed and burned (many large spots). What would be the best native flowers or grasses to replant in that area? L... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Iris Changing Color? April 03, 2015 I have some iris planted under a very tall tree and they bloom nicely every February. The original bulbs were given to me when I moved here to Arizona 30 years ago. They have always bloomed white. I h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Groundcovers for Shade Under a Sweetgum March 25, 2015 I have 3 large sweetgum trees that produce so much shade each summer, and grass, even grass meant for shade, won't grow here. It's become a barren desert! I have English ivy but it only seems to gro... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need ground cover plants to grow in the shade a large oak in San Antonio, TX March 09, 2015 We have a large backyard in San Antonio covered with live oak and red oak. Since grass does not do well in this shade / bright shade area I would like to plant a low growing ground cover and then add... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Compatibility of mixed ground covers with St. Agustine grass March 04, 2015 My husband and I live in Northwest Austin. We have removed lawn from our front yard and replaced it with mulch and some trees and other plantings. We would like to replace the lawn in our backyard ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Deterring geese from a wildflower garden February 28, 2015 I've moved into a home with a large pond beyond the grass yard. I intend to plant a sunflower house with lots of other plants as part of the structure, such as flowering vines, clover, mint and thyme... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need plants for a garden pathway in Austin, TX. February 28, 2015 Hello! I am looking for a low-growing native plant or plants that I can use instead of grass; I have a section of the garden that gets full to part sun that will have a pathway of stones. I'd like ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Short, Shady Plants for South Carolina February 24, 2015 I have a shady part of my mother's garden that doesn't drain very well. Do you have any suggestions as to what type of flowers or plants (preferably native to S.C.) that aren't red that might grow ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant Database for New Jersey February 19, 2015 How can I find out where certain plants will grow, for example, will Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) grow in New Jersey? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native border plants to stop erosion February 18, 2015 I need native border plants to assist in stopping soil erosion due to water run off from rain and the Catawba River. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
February 17, 2015 This question may have more to do with chemistry than botany but I thought I would start here. My sister recently discovered that behind her Chili pequin plants, the brick was being dissolved leaving ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Plants for Year Round Interest February 16, 2015 I'm involved in a paradigm shift from traditional bedding plants (petunias, zinnias, begonias, etc.) to native plants. I realize that native plants have natural life cycles where they look pretty bad... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need suggestions for material to build a raised bed garden February 13, 2015 I am starting a raised bed garden but cannot find untreated railroad ties or landscape timbers. Does anyone have a source in the Austin or Dripping Springs area? I have tried McCoys, Home Depot, Natur... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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