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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| Pruning Texas madrone trees from Utopia TX August 19, 2012 I have a number of large Texas Madrone trees on my ranch in Utopia Texas. A few of them have dead limbs and I was wondering whether I should cut off the dead limbs or just leave the tree alone. I wa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Time for trimming oaks from Boerne TX July 03, 2012 I want to trim a native red oak but am scared to touch it because I dont want to lose it. It is the primary source of shade in our back yard. Also I want to trim the live oaks and am surrounded with O... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Young oak damaged by falling tree from San Diego TX June 27, 2012 My neighbor's Palo Blanco tree was struck by lightning and fell over our fence and on to a young oak tree in our yard. We waited a few days to see if the neighbor would offer help, but he never did,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Making Ruellia nudiflora thicker in pot from Tucson AZ June 25, 2012 Can Ruellia Nudiflora be propagated in the same pot as the parent plant? Can it be cut back to stimulate a denser plant? I have plants in several pots and would like to 'thicken' the plant. Tha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Controlling oak suckers in Austin June 24, 2012 We have 2 live oak trees that are sprouting shoots all around the surrounding area. We would like to plant some grass and would like to remedy this first. We have mowed the shoots and still they jus... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trimming oaks and elms from New Braunfels TX June 20, 2012 I would like to trim my live oaks and elm trees at the same time, if possible. I think they are American Elms. When is the best time to do this and avoid oak wilt and Dutch elm disease? Should all c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Decorative Trees for Scenic Bench in Fairhope IL June 10, 2012 I am looking for a recommendation for a pair of small trees (does not grow taller than 18-20 feet) that can provide shade on either side of a stone bench. The site is in full sun, western exposure an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Poverty plant overgrown in Austin June 06, 2012 We have a poverty plant that is too big for its space in our yard. We like it and want to keep it. Can it be transplanted easily? What about pruning it. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Failure to bloom of Esperanza from Austin June 06, 2012 I have an Esperanza plant. I've had this plant for over 5 years. Its in a large pot. The plant has NEVER bloomed. I fertilize maybe once a month and dont seem to be over watering, only when I notice ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning a rough-leaf dogwood in spring May 04, 2012 Is it OK to trim a rough leaf dogwood now? Should I spray after trimming? Thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Trimming of penstemon after bloooming from Austin April 30, 2012 I planted a penstemon in my backyard last fall and it's doing great. Once the flowers have bloomed, do I cut the stalk back? It is about 2 ft tall and doesn't appear to be doing anything. I belie... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Seeds of agave attenuata from San Diego CA April 16, 2012 After the agave attenuata bloom dried up there are seeds like thing hanging on the foxtail; do I leave it until it dies or do I chop that down. Are those seeds for propagation. The leaves of the plan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Red oaks that didn't drop leaves in Austin April 04, 2012 I have a number of Red Oaks on land that did not drop leaves this past fall. Now these same trees seem to be dead? It seems there's some type of mold/fungus on the trees. Some trees have small patche... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowers for days on end in California March 30, 2012 What are some plants or flowers that I can grow "all-year" in California? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is a yucca going to have a stalk from Sylvania OH March 15, 2012 Hi, I was wondering if the stalk on a yucca plant grows back every year after it is cut off? How to tell if it is going to have a stalk because some of my yucca's do not have one? Thank you for your ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| pruning crape myrtle (ugh, non-native) March 05, 2012 We would like to plant a Dynamite Crape myrtle in front of our front window. They grow 20' to 30'. Can I trim it each year to about 15' to 20'? Should we plant it approximately 5 feet from the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning Agarita in the Winter February 18, 2012 I recently came upon a small grouping of agarita plants that had been somewhat choked by cedar. Having removed the cedar I noticed there were quite a lot of dead branches within the shrubs. Would Fe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Trimming of Flame acanthus from Bastrop TX February 17, 2012 My flame acanthus never lost leaves off the bottom tier of branches this winter. With the brief warm weather and rain we've had, the top and middle tier of branches have all re-leafed. It is very l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Roots in foundation of home in Audubon NJ February 17, 2012 I live in an old house (almost 90 years old), and within the past year I have noticed in one area the concrete basement floor breaking. Today I finally made time to investigate. In these old houses ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removal of non-native invasive Ligustrum japonica from Austin February 14, 2012 I bought a house that I am slowly turning into a native garden, but as a teacher, I have a really small budget. One entire border of my backyard (30 feet) was planted with evil Ligustrum japonica. I l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| When to prune Texas Coral Honeysuckle in Iredell, TX? January 31, 2012 When can I prune Texas coral honeysuckle? It needs to be pruned so that it will fill out. Also, how much do I prune it? Thank you, View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Care for indoor ivy from Carollton TX January 26, 2012 I have an indoor ivy that is on a pole. The pole is breaking, and I need to separate the ivy from the pole with the least amount of trauma to the plant. How should I do this? Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Controlling oak suckers in Austin January 26, 2012 I live in Austin TX and have one particular native Oak tree in my back yard with a large bed around it. I don't plan on planting anything else in the bed since it is already nicely landscaped along ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Questions about care and pruning of Mexican Plum and Mountain Laurel in Austin, TX. January 24, 2012 I have a couple of questions regarding tree care and pruning. I have a Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana), about 10 years old or so. I would like to prune it. Is it ok to prune now in late wi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Cutting back of non-native Salvia Elegans in Portland OR December 31, 2011 I did not trim back my pineapple sage in the fall. It is now winter and the plants are bare sticks. Should I cut them back or leave them alone? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Burning back Gulf Muhly instead of trimming from San Antonio December 19, 2011 A few years ago I noticed that the Center burned back its Gulf Muhly rather than cutting it back. Did that study result in any conclusions or recommendations? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Due to drought is pruning live oaks beneficial from Houston December 07, 2011 Would it be beneficial (presuming a continued spring drought) to prune live oak trees more severely than usual this winter? I'm thinking that it might help them to have less mass to support. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native Podocarpus macrophyllus in Ft Worth TX November 12, 2011 I know this question does not pertain to a native plant but I've spent too much time not finding an answer to my question. I have many mature Podocarpus macrophyllus bushes at my house I purchased in... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Safe branch length of oaks in Clayton NC November 06, 2011 I have 2 very large oak trees in my yard and I am concerned about the length of the branches over the house and driveway. Most seem larger than 4" in diameter. What is a safe length for these branc... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Time to trim oak trees in Austin October 29, 2011 We have several large oak trees in desperate need of a good trimming. Given that the trees have had a very stressful drought year, when would be the best time to trim them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning tips for Texas Mountain Laurel. October 09, 2011 Towards the end of May, I planted some Mountain Laurel seeds in pots. They are about six inches high now and starting to branch out. Do I need to trim off the leaves on the main stem below the branche... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Sun loving plants for flower bed by the pool in Weatherford Texas October 03, 2011 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Replacing non-native boxwood in Austin October 03, 2011 I have a large maze garden, possibly boxwood, originally planted in the 1950's, in Austin, Texas. About 1/3 of it has died out, probably due to drought, heat and age. Should I attempt to replant ju... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning non-native oleanders September 28, 2011 I have an oleander that has become to "leggy". I read the pruning instructions, but where I want to prune, there are not any leaf nodes. Can I trim below at the base, or will I hurt the plant? I ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sad Germanders in Johnson City Texas September 16, 2011 I have some grey bush germanders that never seem to do well although they did at first when I planted them four years ago. They have sun and dappled shade on the south side of the house. A friend in ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning live oak shoots from San Antonio September 10, 2011 I am new to TX and am curious about removing suckers/water sprouts from my Live Oaks. Everything I've read about pruning Live Oaks states that you must paint ALL cuts, so I assume that all means al... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Damage from Hurricane Irene in Burgaw, NC August 27, 2011 We live in Burgaw, NC and have begun the clean up efforts of Hurricane Irene which has made a full grown crape myrtle lean to one side. Its a very large tree and it is not uprooted. Is there anyway ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native Pride of Barbados from San Antonio August 26, 2011 I have some very successful wildly blooming "Dwarf Pride of Barbados" plants growing in my xeriscape garden. Each year I cut them back to the ground. I have just purchased a new variety called "... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dead portions on oak tree in Hutchinson KS August 22, 2011 I have an oak tree on the property I just moved into. One tree is healthy, the other has a dead side or almost dead. It did have some new green leaves on the dead branches but not many. What should... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning time for Lonicera sempervirens from Pflugerville TX August 08, 2011 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, When does the Wildflower Center prune its Lonicera sempervirens? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to remove plume from Yucca elephantipes in NJ? August 02, 2011 In Manahawkin, NJ, how do we cut plume (2" diameter) off 10' Yucca elephantipes? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Liatris spicata through blooming from Norman OK July 26, 2011 We have a Liatris spicata, I thought it was done blooming (dried tops), so I cut them off. Will it come back and bloom again? What can I do? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Cutting back perennials in PA July 25, 2011 Can you pinch back echinacea in the spring to produce a shorter plant? I have some that get too tall and fall over. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Tree with no invasive roots for Los Angeles July 24, 2011 I have a large in ground planter sharing the outside wall (on south/east corner) of my house in east LA 90032. I would like to find a tree that grows quite tall (2 story building), but grows roots ver... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning smooth azalea in NJ July 12, 2011 I have a Smooth Azalea growing in my woods. It was verified by the Master Gardeners of Burlington County New Jersey. It's 12 feet tall and lanky. Can it be trimmed in hopes of thickening up? If s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to prune wild mustang grape vines. July 11, 2011 Now that my mustang grapes are harvested. When can I trim them out of the tree top and redirect them to an arbor where I can reach them next year? The main vine is at least 3" across. The vines from... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning a non-native Hinoki cypress from Denver NC July 08, 2011 Hi! Our painters have asked that we trim the Golden Hinoki Cypress back from the house. The tree is about 20' tall, beautiful and healthy. Since it is July and therefore, HOT! I'm wondering how t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need some help with my Mexican Bush Sage in Rockport, TX. July 07, 2011 My Mexican bush sage looks leggy,ratty and sparse. It's planted in full sun and was cut back to the ground in early spring. My soil is sand and I've watered it sparingly as we've had no rain. I'm... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yucca blades damaged by weedeater in Hellertown PA July 05, 2011 Can I cut off the blades of a Yucca plant that have been eaten on the edges with a weed wacker and are very unsightly looking? Can they be cut back to the flower shaft? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure to bloom of Salvia greggii from San Antonio June 29, 2011 We bought Salvia greggii at the Wildflower Center Plant Sale three years ago and planted them in a well drained area. We cut them back early in the year as recommended at Go Native U classes. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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