Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

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.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

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.

 
<< previous 1 ... 9 10 11 12 12 next >> 
120 Results:   10 25  50  100 per page


topicquestion
Native plants for a school butterfly garden
February 11, 2008
My son's school is having a beautification work day and one of the projects is a butterfly garden. Parents are being asked to donate plants, and we would like to suggest appropriate plants for this ...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Native plants for butterfly garden in Waco, TX
February 03, 2008
Few weeks ago I sent you a letter but never got an answer back. I would like to have your suggestions of native plants for a butterfly garden (30'x 30') here in Waco. The plants must be (1)drought ...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Fall seeding of Butterfly Weed in Virginia
July 20, 2007
Just ordered seeds from you - Butterfly Weed - and I plan to hopefully scatter the seeds early Oct. in an area along a tree line here in No. VA where the sun bakes the soil as it is exposed to hot wes...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Perennial plants for butterfly garden
June 18, 2007
Hello, I live in Plano, TX and I am trying to create a backyard garden which will attract butterflies. I prefer bulbs and perennials so that I will not have to replant again and again like annuals. A...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Winter trim-back of plants in butterfly garden
January 05, 2007
I had a wonderful butterfly garden this past spring, summer, and fall. This was its first year of planting. Should I trim the plants that have died back due to frost? I'm worried about destroying ...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Native host plants for Painted Lady Butterfly
June 01, 2006
I am looking for host plants for the Painted Lady Butterfly that I can plant in my school's (I am a teacher) native plant/butterfly garden. As part of the curriculum, each spring the 1st grade raises...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Non-native tropical Butterfly vine (Mascagnia macroptera) in Houston
February 02, 2006
HOWDY . . . Miss Smarty Plants !!! I am trying to identify one of the most intriguing, unusual & beautiful vines that I have ever seen. I encountered this vine at the home of an 87 year old widow ...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Locating milkweed to feed larvae of Monarch butterfly
November 17, 2005
A monarch butterfly on her way south, stopped and laid her eggs on a tropical milkweed. The larvae have hatched and now I want to insure their survival, but I only had 1 plant which they have strippe...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Butterfly/hummingbird garden in Texas
September 09, 2005
I am coordinating a butterfly/hummingbird garden on 100 acres that our religious organization has. We want to use native Texas plants as much as possible. Are these two types of gardens compatible an...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

Optimum pruning time for butterfly garden
April 18, 2005
I am planting a butterfly garden that I would like to be pretty as well as beneficial for butterflies. If I am going to have both host plants and nectar plants in the garden and the butterflies will b...
View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer

topicquestion

<< previous 1 ... 9 10 11 12 12 next >> 
120 Results:   10 25  50  100 per page