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.

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?

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 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 16 next >>

792 Results: 10 25 50 100 per page

topic	question
Wildlife Gardens Grasses or Grass-like Shrubs Trees	Wildlife and bird friendly hedgerow for Chicago suburb November 30, 2013 Want to plant a wildlife/bird friendly hedgerow in suburban Chicago. Looking for a recommended mix of understory trees as well a shrubs and grasses. Site is part shade with average to wet soil and tr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like	Grasses for shady areas November 24, 2013 I would like to know which grasses would grow in mostly shady part of the house. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Seeds and Seeding Grasses or Grass-like	Allowing Habiturf to seed out in Austin TX or Austin OR November 21, 2013 What does it mean to let habiturf "go to seed?" Do I need to wait for all the seeds to drop before that is true? Or, if I mow it when there are seed heads, will those seeds provide new plants in the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Seeds and Seeding Grasses or Grass-like	Will Habiturf be chicken feed from New Caney TX November 21, 2013 How well does your recommended native turf grass mix hold up against chickens or do double duty as feed? I have a mixed use property that will house Rabbits, Poultry (chickens/duck/geese), and ev... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Non-Natives Grasses or Grass-like	Wintering non-native liriope spicata indoors in Chillicothe IL November 08, 2013 I live in zone 5, zip 62523, wintering liriope spicata starter plants in basement, ambient consistent. Do I need grow lamps or is the plant satisfied being dormant as long as I do not let it dry out? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Shade Tolerant Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Habiturf for shady areas in San Antonio TX November 08, 2013 Will the Habiturf grass mentioned here do well in shady areas too? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Planting Seeds and Seeding Grasses or Grass-like	Annual ryegrass and Habiturf from Austin October 31, 2013 We've decided to put Habiturf in our freshly cleared back yard that was overgrown with sticky burs and crabgrass, but now that it is fall, would you recommend putting in a cover crop of annual ryegra... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Invasive Plants Non-Natives Pests Problem Plants Deer Resistant Grasses or Grass-like	Do white-tailed deer consume King Ranch bluestem? October 25, 2013 Will white-tail deer in central Texas consume King Ranch bluestem ? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Shade Tolerant Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Alternative for sedges for turf-like lawn in shade October 25, 2013 When it comes to a turf-like lawn in shade, is it pretty much sedges or nothing among native options? By the way, I write from up north here in Iowa. Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Seeds and Seeding Grasses or Grass-like	Controlling erosion with grasses in Dallas, TX October 19, 2013 After consulting with several geological engineers and the city of Dallas engineers - we know that our severe erosion problem can only be fixed by building a 35' foot high gabion wall about 150' in ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Non-Natives User Comments Grasses or Grass-like	Comment on previous answer from Austin October 15, 2013 Ms Bradford, You just answered my question about St. Augustine grass.. actually, you didn't answer it.. You said "sorry, wrong number". Very funny. I think you misunderstood... I would rather no... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Non-Natives Grasses or Grass-like	Questions on non-native St. Augustine from Austin October 15, 2013 I have St. Augustine grass in my yard. I am having work done in my yard soon, which will require new sod. I know the St. Augustine has to take root in the ground before the first freeze, to assure t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Groundcovers Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Habiturf lawn in Carson City, NV October 15, 2013 I planted habiturf just south of Reno NV May 5. First two months no or little germination because nite temps too cold. Now doing ok except battling purslane and redstem filaree.. SO, I notice bare/spa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Plant Identification Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like	Identifying native sedges October 14, 2013 What's the best way to identify a specific sedge ? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Grass lawn from Durham NC October 08, 2013 Durham, NC. Want to plant a small front grass lawn, full sun, dry. Willing to mow. Not good about watering. Advice? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Habiturf lawn for townhouse in Austin October 06, 2013 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in central Austin and on November 1st I will be moving into a townhome with a small yard of around 500 square feet. The yard has been neglected and currently looks to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Non-Natives Diseases and Disorders Grasses or Grass-like	Problems with non-native St. Augustine lawn from Austin October 06, 2013 We have St. Augustine in our front lawn. There are some patches where the grass has entirely died but mixed in with the dead areas are little clumps of living grass. It seems to be spreading througho... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Non-Natives Grasses or Grass-like	Native grasses for golf courses from Austin October 06, 2013 I may be working on two different golf courses and wanted to know if any native or hybrid native grasses would work for the fairways and rough areas? The rough areas are no problem as a number of ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Seed and Plant Sources Meadow Gardens Planting Seeds and Seeding Grasses or Grass-like	Grasses for a prairie in southeast Texas September 30, 2013 We have a small place (about 100 acres) in Colorado County, Texas, on the Colorado River north of the town of Weimar. We are gradually clearing (bulldozing) the woods of cedars. One particular spot ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Bunch grasses for labyrinth that are good for livestock September 29, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I'm designing an outdoor labyrinth that will be in full sun in our black Slidell clay soil here in north central Texas. The area MAY be mowed for hay at a later date (i.e... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Native prairie grasses for East Texas September 19, 2013 What are the best grasses for native east texas prairie grass reestablishment, I have a small acreage I would like to turn into native grass land. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Invasive Plants Non-Natives Propagation Grasses or Grass-like	Removal of non-native zoysia grass from Burgettstown PA September 12, 2013 What is the most effective method of killing zoysia grass? We bought a house that sits in the center of four acres of mature zoysia. It looks beautiful, however, despite our best efforts at "weeding... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Groundcovers Grasses or Grass-like	Native, low maintenance lawn for Rowley MA September 11, 2013 I am in Northeastern (coastal) Massachusetts and I am looking to replace my (currently high maintenance, water intensive, invasive species) lawn with a native, low maintenance species (or mix). Many o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Groundcovers Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like	Native lawn replacement for shady areas in Austin September 11, 2013 Our front lawn was totally destroyed this summer during some remodeling construction. I am interested in replacing it with native grasses, but we have several oak trees that keep the area fairly shady... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Plant Lists Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs Shrubs Trees Vines	Opinion of 5 best native garden plants in Oklahoma from Burneyville OK September 07, 2013 What would you say are the 3 to 5 BEST native garden plants for south central Oklahoma? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Planting Soils Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like Trees	Ornamental grasses under desert willows from Dallas, TX September 06, 2013 I am planning on planting 3 desert willows in full sun, below the power lines at the back of my back yard in the White Rock Lake area of Dallas. I would like to plant some ornamental grasses in the be... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Erosion Control Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs Vines	Riverbank Plants for Minnesota September 04, 2013 I would like to stablize a steep riverbank slope along the Upper Mississippi in St. Cloud MN. The slopes are almost 1:1. We are using an open cell concrete matt in which we are going to plant native... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Carex texensis for Gainesville, Florida August 31, 2013 I am interested in planting Carex texensis in Gainesville Florida (zone 9). The site is part shade with little water. However, I do not see it listed as being used anywhere in Florida. Is it restric... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Ornamental grass next to golf course pond August 26, 2013 I need an ornamental grass or shrub that will grow on a terrace next to a golf course pond and be ~ 3' of height. The plant will receive afternoon sun, must survive periodic flooding in the spring an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Groundcovers Grasses or Grass-like	Benefits of Habiturf from Austin August 19, 2013 I have been reading about Habiturf and my question should be easy to answer. Is this is a grass you would recommend for kid play? Sitting on the lawn, kicking a soccer ball, etc. Any information a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Erosion Control Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Salt tolerant plants for shade on tidal inlet in NY August 11, 2013 Are there any salt water tolerant grasses or forbs with deep roots that grow in shade? I live on a tidal inlet/canal on Long Island NY. The southern bank has cedars and oaks but the soil is eroding ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Pests Cacti and Succulents Grasses or Grass-like	Replacements for yuccas from Georgetown TX August 07, 2013 I have lost some softleaf and variegated yucca to a beetle grub destroying the root system - like the Agave snout beetle does. I have put an insecticidal drench on my remaining plants, but suspect wi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Erosion Control Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Hillside Erosion Control for Gainesville GA August 07, 2013 I have a steep bare hill and the runoff from it is heavy this year. I need help with a fast growing groundcover that will help control erosion and runoff. Planting on the hill is difficult because you... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Drought Tolerant Erosion Control Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs Shrubs	Erosion tolerant plants for shade from Kerrville TX August 06, 2013 We have just cleared a lot of cedar out of a small draw and would like to know the best groundcovers, shrubs, etc. to plant to hold the soil. Deep shade most of the day. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Watering Erosion Control Grasses or Grass-like Shrubs	Wind and erosion tolerant plants from Austin August 05, 2013 I recently cleared a fire break by removing cedar from around my home in West Austin. I'd like to plant the exposed NW facing slope with native shrubs and trees. Looking for selections that can wit... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Planting Drought Tolerant Privacy Screening Grasses or Grass-like Shrubs Trees	Privacy screen for Sedona AZ August 02, 2013 I live In Sedona Az. A builder just built a house next to my house and the new house is ugly to look at. What plant or tree would grow fast and reach 18 foot in height fast. It can be about 5 to 6 foo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Groundcovers Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Ground cover for shady area in north Texas July 29, 2013 I'm looking for a ground cover for a mostly shady area where St. Augustine won't grow. I don't want the ground cover to overtake my established St. Augustine in the rest of the yard. The area is un... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Planting Grasses or Grass-like Trees	Native Desert Willow and bunchgrass for Lubbock TX July 29, 2013 We live in Lubbock and have decided to try to make our front yard as native as possible. It has been a very difficult process finding native species locally (even the local Aggie nursery sells a lot ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Soils Watering Grasses or Grass-like Trees	Native turf and trees for Odessa TX July 29, 2013 What native turf and trees can I grow in my Odessa, Tx back yard? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Container Gardens Cacti and Succulents Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs Shrubs	Plants for hanging flower boxes from Austin July 27, 2013 I have two long flower boxes 17" x 15" x 25 feet long one on the north side of the apt and one on the south made of metal suspended about four feet from the ground. One will get the morning sun and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Groundcovers Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Looking for a native turf grass for the Houston area July 25, 2013 Looking for a native turf grass for the Houston area. In some of your 2012 responses, you stated that "The good news is that research into turf-type grasses native to the coastal region is in the pla... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Erosion Control Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Erosion Control with perennials for a shady Dallas bank July 25, 2013 Thank you for your help with turf or perennials on a shaded bank, 4000 sq ft, for the Dallas area that has good roots, grows in semi shade to shade, is on a steep bank so cannot mow, and flowers the l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Diseases and Disorders Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Problem with Habiturf. Is it dormant or dead? July 24, 2013 We planted habiturf in spring 2012. It's beautiful. But since last summer, we have had one area that seems to go dormant much more rapidly than the rest, even though it receives the same amount of ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Meadow Gardens Grasses or Grass-like Wildflowers	Developing fields with native plants from New Egypt NJ July 24, 2013 I have several acres of fields that I want to develop with native grasses and flowers. I would like to know the best time to mow the fields so that bushes and volunteer trees don't take over and that... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Is Milium effusum 'aureum' native to North America from Iowa City, IA July 23, 2013 I have seen the cultivar grass milium effusm aureum described as a native of both Europe and the N. America. Both continents HAVE a subspecies of m. effusum. Which is more accurate; is MEA a cultivar ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Non-Natives Grasses or Grass-like	Non-native St. Augustine grass failing for 5 years in Houston July 21, 2013 My townhome in Houston has a mid-size backyard, which receives full sun for much of the day. I've re-sodded with St. Augustine for 5 consecutive summers, but it consistently dies over time (proper fe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Grasses for Pennsylvania July 18, 2013 What type of grass does the best in my area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Grass for a Miniature Garden July 18, 2013 Please let me know what kind of grass is nice and short and tight for a miniature garden in a wooden box. I want to grow this grass in the box and I also want to know if I need to drill holes in the b... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Invasive Plants Non-Natives Xeriscapes Grasses or Grass-like	Non-native zoysia and bermuda grasses in Austin July 11, 2013 We have Bermuda grass in the front and Zoysia in the back yards. The back grass is fine but the front yard Bermuda isn't. We have watered once each week during the spring and during the past 3 weeks... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Meadow Gardens Planting Seasonal Tasks Seeds and Seeding Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs Wildflowers	Recreating a wildflower meadow, central Texas July 02, 2013 We have an acre on our property that has bluebonnets. Unfortunately, it also has other plants that we don't want -Johnson grass, nettles, burrs. We plan to do a controlled burn in the fall and re-... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
topic	question

<< previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 16 next >>

792 Results: 10 25 50 100 per page