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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| Care in planting native Shumard oaks April 16, 2008 I am going to plant 3 shumard red oaks on the west side of my property. The land is basically rocky. What should I put in the holes to help the tree grow? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for sandy soil and not much water April 14, 2008 I am planning a new garden at home and would like to grow native plants that can handle sandy soil and don't need much water. I do not water my gardens.I would prefer plants that can have more than o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure of Bald Cypress to fully leaf out April 14, 2008 My family just moved to a house in Burnet County, about 7 miles south of Bertram, close to the Balcones Canyonlands NWR, with very rocky limestone soil. We bought several trees last fall, including a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sudden death of Texas Mountain Laurel April 14, 2008 Last year, my 15-year-old Mountain Laurel died very suddenly. The leaves began to curl up and turn brown, and it was dead within about 15 days. What happened? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Distinguishing elm species from volunteers in yard April 10, 2008 What's the best way to distinguish young elm tree species apart from one another? We have a bunch coming up in our yard and we're trying to figure out if they are Winged, Cedar or American. Some of ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Suggestions for native perennials in Staten Island, NY April 03, 2008 My back yard garden has a good base of evergreen shrubs and perennials all doing well in clayish soil and I am ready now to add color and texture in an area with partial sun. Can you suggest hardy... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tag on oak tree in Buda, TX April 02, 2008 I found a large oak tree on my property with a tag that has a number on it. Any idea what that means? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native conifer bearing evergreen for noise reduction April 01, 2008 I asked the prior question about noise reduction and you gave me several choices. Thank you for that. Of the plants you suggested, the wax myrtle is the tallest and therefore probably best for my 2-st... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vehicle friendly oak trees for Austin March 30, 2008 Do Chinquapins, Shumards or Live Oaks produce lots of tree sap? I'm looking for a vehicle friendly Oak tree to be installed in parking areas in Austin, Texas. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for soil with basalt outcroppings in Idaho March 30, 2008 We have basalt (lava) outcropping in part of our back yard and know we'll have to search for pockets of soil in which to plant. Any suggestions about what trees or shrubs would have a chance in thes... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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