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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| Ground cover for sun in Phenix City, AL April 04, 2011 I live in Phenix City, AL and am new to planting. I have a 60 x 15 feet slope that is just dirt. I am going to till it next week and want to plant some various ground cover plants (that will grow to c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for clay soil in Lathrop MO March 21, 2011 My family just moved to the north Kansas City, MO area and would like to know what native species, both perennial and tree, will do best in the clay soil. It has already proven problematic as we have ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants to grow in high zinc, lead and copper soil in Los Angeles January 24, 2011 We live on the Westside of Los Angeles and have just been given the bad news that our beds are high in zinc (86.39), lead (45.98) and copper(12.95). Can you recommend some plants that may grow in thes... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What to do with soil left over from new driveway in Austin January 07, 2011 When we had a new driveway put in in Mid-December, the topsoil and weedy grass was scraped into a low pile. I watered it and covered it with black plastic to kill all the plant matter. How long should... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Soil improvement near Kerrville, TX December 11, 2010 We live in the Kerrville area; the soil is extremely shallow and deficient. The yard consists of mainly native plants, with a concentration of plants for butterflies and birds. What kind of soil and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants native to Hudson River December 03, 2010 What plants grow along/in the Hudson River? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Erosion control on partially shaded slope November 27, 2010 Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in Atlanta, GA. My house is on a hill, and I am beginning to have erosion at my backyard porch (concrete slab, on the corners especially). The soil is mainly red clay, a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Do leaves with tannins make good compost from Austin November 04, 2010 I have a couple of old native pecan trees in my (or neighbor's) yard that drop bushels and bushels of leaves every fall. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I have a recollection that pecan leaves have... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What habitat would my Antennaria solitaria like in Red Bank, TN? October 26, 2010 I want to know what habitat my mystery plant will like- sun, shade, dry or moist. I think it is an Antennaria solitaria or Little Pussytoes. I got it at a native plant sale here in Chattanooga. It has... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Turf grasses and alternatives for NH October 23, 2010 I live in Hancock, NH, just north of Peterborough. We just bought a relatively new house that pretty-much has no lawn and minimal landscaping. Can you (or anyone) suggest native lawn grass alternati... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Malpighia glabra for Austin October 14, 2010 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, I am planting native Malpighia in a raised bed that was specially prepared for growing roses (soil and amendments). This bed has been left fallow for several years. Do I need t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need Native Cover Crop in Seguin, TX October 11, 2010 Is there a native winter cover crop that would control erosion until spring vegetation takes over? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growing Native Plants in Juniper litter from Wimberley, TX October 04, 2010 Junipers create an environment under their canopy that prohibits growth of other plants. I have a virgin lot that has been cleared of many juniper but has remaining heavy natural leaf mold containing... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cold hardiness zones for plants from Jackson MS October 02, 2010 How to search the plant database by cold-hardiness zone? Is it possible to do combination search by zone (not just state?) With the information provided with plant, I do not see the zone listed. Ma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Compare Natives to Lawn for Carbon Footprint Benefits in Durham, New Hampshire September 22, 2010 Are there carbon sequestration rate tables for turf (lawn) and bushes, shrubs, trees? I want to compare the carbon footprint benefit of lawn versus the same area put into native plantings. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need Plants and Soil for a Green Roof in Buffalo, TX September 13, 2010 I'm building a green roof on my cabin in the Buffalo, Texas, area. Would you know what soil and plants would be best suited for that area? I have a lot of sand I could use, but didn't know if that... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for sunny dry soil location August 22, 2010 Do any native plants exist in a highly sunny very dry soil location? (high overhang prevents rain but allows sun) View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hybridized Indigo Spires having problems in Wimberley, TX August 19, 2010 I planted 7 Indigo Spires from one gallon containers in May and now each plant is about 18" tall. 4 of the 7 fell over about 2 weeks are. The plants still look healthy with no dropped or curled leav... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Using cedar chips as mulch in Wimberley, TX August 19, 2010 In TX Hlll Country there is an abundance of wood chips, usually "cedar", which I have used as plant mulch. Since wood chips extract nitrogen to decay, do you consider chips a poor choice as plant m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure to thrive of desert willow in Wimberley TX August 10, 2010 I have a desert willow. It is always, whether I water it or leave it alone, yellow/ brown leaves, dark spots on the leaves, losing leaves. now it looks sad and not very healthy. Can you please tell m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Limp leaves on Texas purple sage in Magnolia TX July 22, 2010 Recently planted Texas purple sage, some of it looks healthy and has new blooms, but a few of the plants have limp leaves and are thin at the bottom. I read the article on cotton root rot, but am not ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Blooms on Desert Willow withering quickly in Rockwall TX July 15, 2010 Why do the blooms on my Desert Willow dry up and wither away in one or two days? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants to replace hydrangeas in a wet area in New York July 09, 2010 Dear Smarty, Two years ago I planted 4 Endless Summer Hydrangas in front of the front porch of my summer cottage on Saratoga Lake. The first year they struggled the second they are limp. Can you give... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What is composted mulch from Springfield IL July 01, 2010 I love the look of hard wood mulch. It is my understanding that this wood mulch that is so readily available in bulk and bags is not "composted mulch". I have been told that this type of mulch pull... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Best mulch from Cedar Hill TX June 10, 2010 What is the best mulch to use around trees,azaleas and plants in Cedar Hill, Tx? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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