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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| Yellow jackets on non-native crape myrtles September 25, 2008 Hey Mr. Smarty Plants I have only 1 question. I have several Crape Myrtles that have numerous amounts (alarming) of yellow jacket bees on them. who what where when why etc? Should I be concerned? tha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Webs on trees and porch August 21, 2008 i have webs all over my semi covered porch in my back yard. i have noticed these small webs are also on the trees in my backyard. what are they and are they dangerous to the trees or my family who sit... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to keep persimmons from staining patio August 10, 2008 We have approximately 4 female persimmons bearing fruit around our back patio. Birds are carrying the berries to our patio and eating them which leaves a dark stain on our patio. I'm having to go o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Possible webbing bark lice on oak tree August 08, 2008 We live near the Center and have a large live oak tree in our yard. Recently the lower trunk has been covered with thin, white weblike material (not sure if spider web). What could this be and is it d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bugs on yucca plant in New Jersey August 06, 2008 I noticed small bugs ALL OVER 4 established yucca plants all near each other. They may look like Halticotoma valida but I'm not positive. There is no brown on the leaves except for the large amount... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure to thrive of Lantanas August 06, 2008 Here at work we have 4 beautiful yellow Santanas(should I say had), the leaves have started to turn brown and no longer blooming. Appears to have a fungus or disease. Please help! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| White spots on Hibiscus leaves August 06, 2008 My hibiscus trees have white spots or splotches on the leaves. What is it and what can I do to get rid of it? Also, the birds are eating my tomatoes faster than i can grow them. I've used the owl &... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tulip tree with white spots on leaves in Mississippi July 31, 2008 I have a tulip tree in my yard that blooms in the spring that is about 10-15 years old. However just this past week or so we have noticed that there is lots of white spots on the leaves and the branc... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cotton plant for yard in Plano July 27, 2008 I wish to plant a specimen cotton plant in my yard - will it grow in Plano, Texas, do you have any tips for maintaining them, and will they survive freezing temperatures? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Loss of leaves from globe willows in Utah July 26, 2008 I have four globe willows that have been in my back yard for the past 6 years. For the past month they have been losing their leaves from the bottom up. We had aphids in some of our other trees and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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