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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| topic | question | |
| Distance apart to plant Arizona ash trees in El Paso, TX July 01, 2010 How far apart can I plant two Arizona ash trees? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Browning leaves on recently planted chinkapin oak in Rockwall TX June 09, 2010 I just planted a chinkapin oak that is about 1 1\2 inches thick last week and now some of the leaves are turning brown. Does that mean its dying? Do you have any tips that I could use to protect it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants that will grow on the Connecticut coast June 08, 2010 I live on the coast in Connecticut and have a hard time growing plants here. I live about 1/2 mile from the beach and find that my soil is very rocky. The only plants that have done well in my yard ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowering vine for trellis behind fountain in Anaheim Hills CA June 05, 2010 We are looking for a flowering vine to plant on a trellis surrounding a water fountain. The fountain splashes leaving the soil constantly wet. We have tried numerous vines, but they all die due to t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant for part sun in Nampa Idaho May 20, 2010 What could I plant in arid SW Idaho on the northwest side of my house along a border against the house? Most of the day this area is in shade, but at the hottest time of the day it gets a couple of h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for shade under pine trees in Grapevine TX May 16, 2010 What plants are good to put under pine trees in the shade? I live in the Dallas Fort Worth area? The previous owners stuck a Japanese Maple in there that seems to be ok and some sort of holly bush (n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pine bark on non-native St. Augustine grass in Kingwood TX May 12, 2010 I had two large Pine trees cut down. In the process of cutting the trees down there is a lot of pine bark from the tree on my St Augustine grass. Will this affect the growth of my grass? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Severely cutback sloping soil in Dripping Springs TX May 09, 2010 We have 5.5 acres off Henly Loop just north of Hwy 290 about 10 miles west of Dripping Springs, TX. The former property owners carved out soil from a sloping area to get soil for the driveway. Doing ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Use of fresh clippings from tree trimmers for mulch in Austin May 02, 2010 Hi, The tree trimmers are in my neighborhood (east central Austin) to clear the power lines and said I can have a load of free mulch. I am wondering if there is any harm in using the fresh mulch from... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Replacing a Mexican ash with a live oak in Rockport TX April 25, 2010 I live in the Texas Coastal Bend (Rockport, TX). I recently lost a huge Mexican Ash, probably 45 years old. The trunk measures 11'6" at ground level, and gets progressively larger from there up. Its... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Best fertilizer for live oak trees in Central Texas April 22, 2010 What is the best fertilizer for live oak trees in Central Texas? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen pet-safe shrubs for house and screening in McKinney TX April 15, 2010 Looking for shrub, preferably evergreen, to plant near the house that can handle wet ground and is pet (dog, cat, horse) safe. The area became boggy after we had an underground water leak that is now ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Perennial blooming plants for Ashland MO April 02, 2010 I am beginning to create a flower bed in front of my house, I do not have a green thumb so I want to know what plants would come back yearly and I can plant now in Mid Missouri? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to grow milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) for monarch butterflies March 31, 2010 I tried and tried and tried to grow Asclepias viridis, A. asperula and even A. oenotheroides from seeds and even tubers for fourteen years! Do you have advice for growing these and other milkweed plan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fast-growing evergreens for privacy in Center, TX March 30, 2010 I live in East Texas and am looking for a fast growing evergreen for a privacy screen around my backyard. The area gets partial sun and the soil has a lot of clay in it. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowers for sunny and shady gardens in Cedar Hill TX March 30, 2010 Last year I spent way too much on flowers for my sunny and shady flower beds. They all died from the heat, even after constant watering. What flowers could I plant in sunny and shady flower beds that ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants to provide nitrogen for compost in Houston March 27, 2010 I leave my clippings on the lawn so I don't have enough 'green' for my compost. I'd like to plant an unobtrusive area with some native that I can mow on a monthly basis. The area is in partial... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowers for sandy soil and sun in Wharton Co., TX March 23, 2010 I live in Wharton County. I am looking for flowers to plant in beds that have sandy soil and are well drained. The area receives sun all day until 5-6 in the afternoon. I would like to have flowers t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrubs or ground cover for north-facing landscape in Ft. Worth March 23, 2010 Need native plant ideas for a landscaping bed against the house facing north. Already has 1 Beautyberry but two others died of root rot last year due to incredibly high water table in our area. Old ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for floodplain in Fairfield, New Jersey March 21, 2010 I have an easy question for you... I hope... We just moved into the floodplains of NJ in Fairfield and are interested in some plants. We would like to know what plants are best suited to grow in flood... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Lawn Maintenance in Colorado March 20, 2010 When do I begin to fertilize and water my grass in Colorado Springs? I am selling my house and want my lawn to look green? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Help with composting in Katy TX March 19, 2010 I've gone on line and tried to figure out what I'm doing wrong with my compost pile. What exactly is the proper ratio, and the types of plant matter and layers to achieve the optimum decomposition i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Time to mulch without inhibiting seeds in Hitchcock, TX March 17, 2010 When would be the best time of year to put down mulch, if I want my native plants to re-seed? I don't want to bury the seed under mulch layers or new dirt. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification and advice about moving it March 10, 2010 I have a plant (a thick stalk about 4 foot tall with yellow flowers on it) that blooms in the morning and the flowers fall off at night. I have searched for info on this plant and have come up short. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rain garden for South Austin March 01, 2010 I have a TINY yard in south Austin. It is 8'x25', sandwiched between four houses and happens to be at the lowest elevation, so all of the neighbor's yards drain to ours. Originally, we had bermud... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eastern redcedar uprooted by snow in Arlington, TX February 14, 2010 During the recent snowstorm one of our juniperus virginiana fell over with the rootball looking intact and with a lot of soil all around it.Should we try to save it? It is approximately 20 feet tall ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Soil for native Chilopsis linearis and Salvia greggii February 08, 2010 I want to plant a desert willow and a salvia greggii in my small lot. The developer used sandy loam to fill in the small garden in the front. I am 73 and a bit impaired. Do I really need to remove ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native grass for caliche soil in Austin February 06, 2010 I am interested in using native grasses in part of my lawn per the recent article on these from the Wildflower Center. The problem is I live W. of Austin where there is very little top soil and calic... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Duplicate of English holly for Eufaula OK January 03, 2010 I wish to have a shrub that would duplicate the red berries and foliage of English holly. Tolerance of cultivation is also desired. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Could ammonia harm poisonous, non-native oleander in Bay Point CA December 20, 2009 Could ammonia harm my Oleander plant? I have been spraying ammonia under it to keep neighborhood cats from using the soil under the plant as a sand box. If so, do you have any suggestions as to what... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native grass mix suitable for Houston December 10, 2009 Do you have a native grass mix that is appropriate to the Houston area- or will the one you have developed to this point work as well here as it does in Central Texas? If not, when will you begin to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Freeze damage to esperanza in pot from Brady TX December 10, 2009 My esperanza, currently in a container, has suffered some freeze damage. I have prepared a planting spot for it and am not sure whether to plant now, trim it back if I do plant it, etc. I would appr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Area needing soil amendment in San Diego December 02, 2009 I have a dirt area in the corner where my fence comes together. The dirt is clay-like and during the winter the area gets very little, if any, sun and during the summer it gets 4-6 hours of sun. Wha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Esperanza with rust spots in Corpus Christi, TX November 30, 2009 I have a young esperanza plant and the leaves have what looks like rust spots all over them. What is the cause of this and what can I do for it? My other larger and older esperanza does not have this.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Xeric landscaping walls in Mansfield TX November 15, 2009 We have two stone, concave 10 ft. high entry walls to our private street. These are each 20 ft. in length and face the west. What xeriscaping accent plants would you recommend. Also, should we crea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting a tulip poplar in Virginia Beach VA November 10, 2009 Hi. I would like to plant a Yellow Poplar, 'Tulip Tree' in my front yard. I will not be able to plant this tree until after November 15th. The tree will receive direct sun and will be exposed to hea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Holding bare soil before sowing native grasses in spring. November 03, 2009 I want to try your buffalo/bluegrama/curly mesquite. Right now my yard is ploughed. What should I do until spring? I assume I should add living compost to the top 3", plant bluegrass for now, and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-blooming climbing rose in Conroe, TX October 09, 2009 I have a climbing rose and it has never bloomed and has no thorns, it was a cutting from another rose bush. I have given it water and fertilize and have mulch around it also. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Annual for poor drainage area in Temple TX October 08, 2009 What annual would you recommend for a bed with poor drainage for summer color ? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for clay soil in Leavenworth IN October 02, 2009 I live in south central Indiana; the soil is very bad clay, either hard as a rock or mud. I have made several raised beds but am still having problems with plants rotting. What types of plants work he... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Blackfoot daisy turning brown in Round Rock, TX September 30, 2009 A few days ago, our blackfoot daisy was doing wonderfully. Then we got heavy rains and suddenly the plant is sere and brown. Did the too wet weather do this, and will it come back next year? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for bioswale in Vero Beach FL September 28, 2009 Can you recommend plantings for bioswales located in Volusia County area of Florida? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Thornless honeylocust trees for Taylor TX September 21, 2009 I live in Taylor, Williamson County, in central Texas and I am interested in selecting trees for my backyard. I can't really explain (it may be my Midwestern roots), but I would like to plant three t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Poor drainage in clay soils in Langhorne PA September 15, 2009 Our backyard has very poor drainage, to the point of up to 3 inches of rain can sit until it is evaporated. Talking to neighbors, they informed us that there use to be a terrain that ran through our ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Esperanza failing to bloom in Odessa TX September 01, 2009 I have 3 Esperanza plants that have not bloomed this spring/summer. I live in Odessa, TX. We had about 5 inches of rain in July in one week (very unusual), but they have not bloomed-before or after. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Removing grass under oak trees in Pflugerville TX August 30, 2009 I would like to use the newspaper-and-mulch method to smother grass under the canopy of live oaks, a bur oak, and a lacey oak so that I can plant natives that will thrive there. However, I'm concern... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Damaged oaks from Hurricane Ike in League City, TX August 25, 2009 After hurricane IKE, one of our oak trees (in front yard) was partially uprooted from the ground. We did place it back, and tie it down with supports. Further, we inserted fertilizer spikes, and give ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native landscaping in Austin August 24, 2009 I am planning to convert a pretty large portion (app. 500 sq feet) of my front yard from St. Augustine to an area with native and well-adapted plants. I have solarized the area to kill off grass and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting adventitious shoots of a mountain laurel in San Antonio August 20, 2009 Is it possible to transplant branches (shoots) growing from a mountain laurel that was chopped down? Some are two years old and several feet tall (but not yet blooming) and some as small as a foot. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Buffalograss for Mason County, TX August 19, 2009 I am interested in planting buffalo grass at a ranch home in between Mason and Fredericksburg, TX. I've read buffalograss doesn't do well in sandy soils, which this area (Hilda, TX) seems to have a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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