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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| Plants for church gardens in Ft. Worth TX November 07, 2013 Second attempt. Our church has many gardens in Fort Worth, TX. There are gardens for blue,red,yellow,white,purple,orange,pink,mixed,community garden,roses, and more. I am interested in the la... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Rose bush varieties and time to plant from Hutto TX October 31, 2013 What rose bush varieties are recommended for the Hutto Texas area and what time of year is the best time to plant into ground? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| 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 | ||
| Flying insects eating leaves of non-native Brugmansia in Aline CA October 17, 2013 I have an Angel Trumpet tree. We live in Aline, California 30 miles east of San Diego. Little yellow and black flying bugs eat the leaves. Do you have a remedy for this problem. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sprout from a non-native sago palm in Poinciana FL October 16, 2013 I have two mature (10 years old)sago palms. One of them sprouted a new "head' at the top of the trunk. It is competing with the original one. It is not a pup coming from the root area. Can I cut it ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Correction of tree name from Bay Point CA October 16, 2013 The tree should of been Mulberry don't know how it was changed!! Tuesday - October 15, 2013 From: Bay Point, CA Region: California Topic: Non-Natives, Cacti and Succulents, Trees Title: Non-... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native alternative to tulips from Milford MI October 15, 2013 What could be a good alternative to tulips? I have not seen a native plant quite like a tulip (except a tulip tree). A good alternative should bloom in April or May and have showy flowers. I searched... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Non-native jade plants and spider plants beneath Mayberry tree in Bay Point CA October 15, 2013 I have a fruitless Mayberry in my back yard that's about 50/50' can I plant jade and spider plants under it? The tree is very healthy. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with non-native photinia in Austin October 07, 2013 Hi, I live in Cedar Park, TX (Austin Suburb)and have planted a number of Photinia shrubs in various areas of my property. All about 10 months old. The leaves are curling along their length on many... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 |  | |
| Wrapping a newly planted non-native Japanese maple from Fraser MI October 01, 2013 Does a newly planted Japanese maple need to be wrapped in burlap for the cold and snowy winter of Macomb County, Michigan? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Distribution vs. Native Distribution in NPIN? September 27, 2013 I'm a Habitat Steward in Austin and conducting a native plant swap tomorrow, 9/28/13. I need to be able to tell people who come whether their plant is native or not. I want to use your smart phone ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 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 | ||
| Propagation of poinsettias in water from Houston September 06, 2013 Pointsettias - we have a broken branch that is thriving in a jar of water with new leaves and additional small branches. When we plant the stem in dirt and even a muck, the growth starts to wither. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with non-native Chinaberry tree from Tucson AZ September 05, 2013 I have a 30+ year old Chinaberry tree and this year the branches are much sparser with leaves and there are a lot of small dead branches. Should I fertilize and what should I use? Thank you View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What are the differences between Arbutus xalapensis, A. unedo and A. marina August 29, 2013 One nursery lists madrone trees as arbutus uneda compacta and arbutus marina. The other lists it as arbutus xalapensis, which is the only name I can find in the data base. There is a very large pric... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting wildflowers from Wichita Falls, TX August 24, 2013 Hi, Thanks so much for the answers you give! You've been very helpful to me in the past. I have two quick questions: 1) I have been harvesting seeds from my wildflowers. I wonder when the best time... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Does non-native Crown of Thorns cause cancer? August 24, 2013 Does the plant, Corona De Cristo (Crown of thorns) cause cancer? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shriveling agave from Miami Florida August 23, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Most upset - My beautiful agave (wish I could have submitted an image) has stared to misbehave. The once first liquid filled leaves, are starting to look more like the skin ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant ID of invasive vine from Austin August 21, 2013 A friend lives in southwest Austin and has a vine that's coming up all over her yard. I am a Williamson County Master Gardener and have asked all the garden gurus in my group what it is from a photo ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native Japanese maple for East Northport NY August 20, 2013 I live in NY and I am looking to plant a Japanese maple in front of my house. It would be in front of a window so I'm thinking should I get a dwarf? Or a semi dwarf? I know I want a red color but un... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rose care for Austin August 18, 2013 I am a transplant from the Pacific NW and need to relearn rose care for Austin. When is the best time to cut back the roses, or do I even bother? I also need to find out how far back I can trimming a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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