Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty 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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| Black Sap from Live Oak in Austin, Texas April 20, 2015 We live in South Austin and our neighbor has several beautiful, enormous Live Oak trees whose canopies hang over into our yard. This past week, they've begun dripping some sort of black sap all over ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Chigger Control in Habiturf from Plano, TX April 08, 2015 We converted our back yard in Plano, Texas to Habiturf last spring/summer and have a nice lawn; however, for the first time since we have lived in this house for 32 years, the lawn was full of chigger... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Deer Resistant Evergreens for Pennsylvania Woods March 12, 2015 We are looking for evergreens that will grow in a partially shaded/wooded area and are ideally deer resistant. Hemlocks are out because of a parasite infestation in our area of Pennsylvania. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Deterring geese from a wildflower garden February 28, 2015 I've moved into a home with a large pond beyond the grass yard. I intend to plant a sunflower house with lots of other plants as part of the structure, such as flowering vines, clover, mint and thyme... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Insect damage to Meyer lemon in Texas February 19, 2015 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a Meyer Lemon tree in Galveston. It produced a lot of lemons. However, something has bit up to quarter sized holes from the side edges of the leaf. Could you please... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Using Dormant Oils in the Winter January 20, 2015 What are your thoughts on the use of dormant oils as part of a winter maintenance program? I live in Austin, Texas. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible leaf cutter ants in Elgin, TX December 08, 2014 I've planted many beautiful native vines and flowering plants this fall. However, in the past week I've noticed something has been eating these plants, including coral honeysuckle vine, salvia, and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problem with leaf cutting bees in Houston, TX December 08, 2014 I have four Arapaho crepe myrtle trees in my backyard and two have leaves, especially the young leaves, being eaten by something. I do not see ants of beetles on the leaves and have not seen any bees ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| White snails in Austin, TX. October 01, 2014 We walked through an undisturbed site off of Hwy. 71 near Old Bee Caves Rd. and there were little white snails on the majority of the plants on site (not specific to certain types of plants). What typ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Weeping Willow Problem in Texas September 04, 2014 Our weeping willow's leaves are turning yellow and falling off. We are also seeing some brown, gnarly looking pods on some of the stems can you tell us what's happening? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rabbit-proof Plants for Texas July 03, 2014 Do you have a list of flowers that rabbits will eat or will not eat so I know what to plant or avoid? I have a year-round rabbit population in my neighborhood and wish to co-exist with them without t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problem with mesquite tree limbs June 13, 2014 i keep finding some smaller branches of my mesquite tree in the turf area around the tree. when looking at the cut ends, they appear to have a smooth cut around the circumference of the limb about 1/... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Herbicide on Habiturf from Austin May 31, 2014 Can you recommend an herbicide that is safe to use on a Habiturf lawn? I followed the directions to put in a new Habiturf lawn about a month ago. The grass seedlings are doing well in places, but ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Infestation of shiny red and blue/black beetles May 27, 2014 I have an infestation of 1 cm long shiny red and blue/black beetles. They have red heads with black eyes and antenna, 2 (?) red spots on their sides, and a bluish black body. Before I kill them with ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small tan balls on oak from Pipe Creek TX May 21, 2014 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, our spanish oak is growing tan colored lumpy balls about the size and weight of a marshmallow..sometimes just one at the end of a short stem and sometimes 2-3 clumped together.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Will Canada geese eat Asclepias tuberosa from Cape May Court, NJ May 20, 2014 Will Canada geese eat my butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)? I know this plant is deer resistant. I really want to plant some on sandy bank near pond in my back yard, but I fear the geese will ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to Control Pests on Plants for Sale May 15, 2014 I am renting a closed spot at a flea market, and am having trouble with several infestations at once, and I am not sure how to control them. I am currently having trouble with aphids, whiteflies, and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Webs on limbs of evergreen sumac from Austin May 13, 2014 We have a mature Evergreen Sumac (Rhus virens) that has spider webs on the end of some limbs. The end of the those limbs have died although new growth is coming on further up the limb. We live in th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How are NPIN Deer Resistance Ratings Determined? May 06, 2014 If your plant data-base (which is the best thing since sliced bread!) is silent on the degree to which a plant is deer-resistant, does this mean you just don't have enough information to make the cal... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Clicking heard under an Oak in near Bandera, TX May 06, 2014 Hi, I live on a ranch in TX outside of Bandera. We're covered with live oaks, spanish oak and cedar. Last week,as I stood under an oak, I heard a constant fairly loud clicking sound under and around ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Control of invasive sandburs in Austin May 05, 2014 My attempts to control / eradicate Sanbur with pre-emergent corn gluten twice yeary for the last three years have been unsuccessful. My post emergent pulling weeds for 15 years has also been unsucces... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Small green balls falling from oaks in Hunt TX May 03, 2014 Our live oak trees have pin-sized black and green balls falling from them (there are so may that is sounds like rain!) The balls are not associated with or fall with the catkins. Thanks for your ass... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with non-native Banana Shrub from Houston May 01, 2014 My 7' beloved Banana Shrub (magnolia) has white dots on top of the leaves and nasty black stuff covering the backside of the leaves. The plant is dropping leaves. What can I do to save it? I has bee... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tiny beetles eating a native plant in Austin, TX. April 15, 2014 Help! Found plant devoured in my wildflower garden! Covered with literally thousand of small black bronze beetles. They are on other plants but the other plants (native poppies, coneflower, coreops... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mosquito problem from Mesa AZ April 07, 2014 We have a mosquito problem in our backyard, I think they're grass Mosquitos. I wanted to get lemongrass for a deterrent but both nurseries were out so I opted for rosemary. They're ALL OVER the rose... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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