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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| Can Condalia hookeri (Brasil or Bluewood condalia) self-pollinate? May 07, 2014 Good morning Mr. SP, I see from your description of Condalia hookeri that this species has bisexual flowers. Do you know if it is self-incompatible? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How are full sun, part sun, etc, defined? April 08, 2014 Hello, I have a question about sun requirements. Does saying something needs "full sun" mean a particular number of hours? Does it mean 6 or more hours / day? 8 or more? Is there an agreed upon n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Water-saving strategies of drought-tolerant plants April 04, 2014 Although "drought tolerant" plants are fairly well documented, it's clear that many different strategies are responsible, such as a huge root system (like Mesquite). I'm interested in learning the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are Prunus minutiflora male and female flowers on different plants? March 12, 2014 I have a Prunus minutiflora and have recently learned the male and female flowers are on separate plants. How can I determine if I have a male or female plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for DNA sequencing of Opuntia species March 04, 2014 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I am trying to do a Opuntia speciation study, and rather just identifying the species by morphological comparison, I would also like to go a little deeper by comparing the DNA... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are leaf margins of Chilopsis linearis toothed from Austin December 22, 2013 Are the leaf margins of Chilopsis linearis, Desert Willow, smooth or toothed? The NPIN descrip says willow-like. Most willows have toothed leaf margins. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for records of Pleistocene flora of Central Texas December 16, 2013 Part of your answer to a question from October 12, 2010 is "..moreover, the evidence goes even further back than the 1800s. Studies of Pleistocene deposits from Central Texas showed ancestral cedar p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Do bees visit cedar trees and other conifers for pollen? November 30, 2013 I was wondering if honey bees or native bees visit cedar trees for pollen? and what about other conifers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Which one is huajillo and which one is guajillo? November 19, 2013 Recently I attended a field trip to the Leonard Garden at the Kleberg Institute in Kingsville. I took a picture of a tree that was referred to as Tenaza or huajillo. Later I took another photo of a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Student research on fire-resistance plant labels from Garden Ridge TX November 13, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, I'm a 4th grader at Garden Ridge Elementary in Comal County. I am researching fire resistant plants. Can you please tell me if most plants' tags say whether they are fire r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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