Native 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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| topic | question | |
| Insects attacking Gregg's Blue Mistflower from Comfort TX June 20, 2013 I have a beautiful stand of Gregg's Blue Mist flower that have been attacked by an unknown insect. The new growth is curled and stunted and it is not flowering. I'm not alone..I've seen the Gregg'... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Lily plants being chewed from Austin June 20, 2013 Something is chewing my lily plants to the ground. Any ideas what and do I stop them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seeding success with Penstemon cobaea from Austin June 18, 2013 I've never had much luck in harvesting seeds from foxgloves (Penstemon cobaea, I think). Whenever I open the seed casing, the seeds inside are covered with some kind of mold. What's going on, and ho... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Container plants for part shade in Bee Cave TX June 18, 2013 Dear Mr Smarty Pants, I am looking for plants that will thrive on my covered porch in 3 tall planters. These are meant to help me block an unattractive view out my living room window, so they must... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Garden instructions from Austin June 12, 2013 I'm a beginning gardener putting in some new landscaping in my front yard in north central Austin, TX. The yard faces almost due east, so it gets full sun until early afternoon, when the house's sha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Perennial Suggestions for Under Ash Trees in Minnesota June 12, 2013 With our house we have inherited 2 ash trees in our front yard with a large amount landscaping underneath. I'm replacing the landscaping but there are tree roots at the surface preventing me from bei... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for chile pequin plants in Austin June 11, 2013 Where can I buy chile pequin plants in Austin? Thank you, View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Texas sage near a granite outcropping from Llano TX June 10, 2013 I have a large granite outcropping near my house. There are pockets that have spring flowers growing in them and is just beautiful in the spring. I want to plant other native plants in and about the g... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for a Shady Woodland in MA June 09, 2013 Hello, I am looking for natives to plant in full shade or part shade. My house is in the mountain woodland area of Mt. Washington, MA. I am looking for grasses, flowers and shrubs. Also I am looking f... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Erosion Control for a NC Clay Slope June 06, 2013 Hi, We have a large slope on the road edge of our property that has been gradually eroding with spring rains (NC red clay). We would really like to plant something for erosion control but the bank is... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Showy Low Growing Perennial for Michigan June 03, 2013 I have been looking for a native perennial that would do well in full sun and moist to dry soil. It would have to be at most 2.5' tall and have showy pink, purple, or red flowers. Is there such a pla... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| New York City Native Perennials for a Long Growing Season May 31, 2013 Which native New York City perennials would be best for the longest growing season? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for pergola in Lubbock TX May 29, 2013 I need suggestions of plants, vines, bushes to plant in my backyard near my wooden pergola that will work well in full sun in Lubbock, TX. Ideally, I'd like some that attract hummingbirds and provide... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of a yellow-flowered wildflower with prickly burs May 20, 2013 Hi there. We have seen a wildflower, probably invasive, that is at least in Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties. We have tried to identify it without success, The structure of the plant is remark... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Will non-native hostas do well in South Carolina from Seneca SC May 20, 2013 I am moving to SC from CT and want to bring some of the hostas I grow in CT. If I plant them in the shade in SC, will they do well down there? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with Gregg's mistflower from Fredericksburg, TX May 19, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: Something is wilting the tops of my Gregg's mistflower, Conoclinium greggii. I cannot see bugs on the plant, so I am wondering if it's a disease. The problem is widespread to... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wildlife garden for Austin May 19, 2013 I am trying to make my backyard more wildlife friendly. I have pecan trees for the canopy and some understory shrub/trees like rough leaf dogwood and redbud. I am having a really hard time finding sui... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning practices from Austin May 16, 2013 I need to do some pruning in my front beds and I know nothing about plants. From what I have been able to identify I have bicolor irises, plumbago, Japanese Aralia. I don't even know where to begin o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to keep plants alive in a pot beside a patio waterfall. May 13, 2013 Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a waterfall on my patio and I can't keep my plants alive in the flower pot next to waterfall. Is that beacuse of algae produced by waterfall? If so, can you please recomme... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with non-native petunias from Hodgeville, KY May 12, 2013 Planting petunias again in a house border bed.. It has been a tradition for 30+ years to plant the small upright petunias in this particular bed. It started as a Mothers Day gift to my Grandmother, ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can non-native coleus grow in mulch from San Antonio May 12, 2013 Can Coleus plants grow in Mulch only? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Stick with tried and true plants for a green roof in New York May 12, 2013 If I use Virginia creepers in a ground covered application for a green roof, how much soil should I provide depth wise? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Salt tolerant plants for Long Beach May 12, 2013 When Hurricane Sandy hit Long Beach, it has killed all my plants and now almost all of Long Beach is left with dead dried brown vegetation. I want to replant front with bushes and flowers. What woul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Container plants for Yakima WA May 11, 2013 My condo complex has purchased large, pottery pots for around our pool. I need to choose low maintenance plants. hopefully something that takes limited water, etc. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Groundcover for Sunny Slope in CT May 11, 2013 I need a plant to use as groundcover and for erosion control on a sunny slope in southwestern Connecticut. Any suggestions other than juniper? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Silver ponyfoot becoming invasive in College Station TX May 08, 2013 How can I control or get rid of an established Dichondra groundcover? I bought a few plants of D. argentea from your sale a few years ago, and in that time they've done really well in the area I plan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Effects of Hedysarum mackenzii from Pflugerville TX May 08, 2013 What are the effects of Hedysarum mackenzii? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mealy blue sage drooping from Canyon Lake TX May 07, 2013 Mealy Blue Sage @ 4 ft Tall - Planted three Mealy Blue Sage last year and they topped out at 2 ft tall. This year they are 4 ft tall in early May, and many of the stems are growing near horizontal... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing non-native daylilies from Albuquerque May 05, 2013 Need some tips on planting daylilies in the Northeast heights of Albuquerque. I've amended clay soil with cottonbur mulch/compost mix and added gypsum. Can I do anything else to ensure growing succes... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Privacy screen from Temecula CA May 04, 2013 I live in Temecula and need a fast growing tree by our pool that is good to block neighbors house. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Privacy screen from Simpsonville SC May 04, 2013 My neighbor cut down his part of our shared woods so now we see his whole "outside patio area". What kinds of fast growing shade loving trees and shrubs can we plant on our property line that will c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Lilies not blooming from Austin May 03, 2013 Last December 8, you published a letter in the Statesman that I had written to you regarding Rain Lilies, Oxblood Lilies, and Copper Lilies. The were sprouting in my garage in a bag. You recommended... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowers under pine trees from Elkhart Indiana May 02, 2013 I have a number of pine trees at the back of my lot and would like to plant flowers under the tree. What can I plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Groundcovers & Shrubs for Shade in North Carolina April 30, 2013 Mr Smarty Pants, My neighbor planted cypress trees as a border between his yard and ours and it is sucking up every drop of water and nutrient. We also have a purple plum in the area which creates ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Smoky Mountains Shaded Slope Plant Suggestions April 29, 2013 We live in a very shady spot in Great Smoky Mountains in Western North Carolina. We would like to plant vegetation on a sloped area behind our cottage to stop erosion after building an addition. Our h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for a Steep, Sunny Slope in Iowa April 28, 2013 I am looking for plants native to Iowa for a steep, sunny slope or groundcover. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native invasive henbit from Round Rock TX April 27, 2013 I've read in this book "Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants" that Henbit is an invasive plant in Texas. I've also read that it provides an early source of nectar to bees and butterflies when li... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Deer resistant native plants for Eagle Scout project in Urbandale IA April 27, 2013 Mr. Smarty Plants, My son is planning his Eagle Scout Project doing some landscaping for the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary. The facility has asked him to use only plants native to Iowa. Can you su... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Invasiveness of Cosmos from Decatur GA April 26, 2013 I have been searching for an answer concerning the invasive plant Cosmos. I know that Florida declares this but I have not been able to find out does Georgia? And specifically,is it only the yellow Co... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for steep slope in Pittsburgh PA April 25, 2013 I have a similar question to one from SC. I live in Pittsburgh, PA. We have a steep slope behind a newly built in pool. What type of plants can I put on the hillside to hold the soil. It gets a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native daylilies for steep hill in Manassas VA April 25, 2013 Would like to plant steep hill w perennial flowering plants like daylily. The daylily farm said this would work great but not sure if we should lay landscaping fabric and poke through holes to plant ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sharing Selfheal with Texas Friends April 25, 2013 I have discovered selfheal plants in my yard. When and how do I collect the seeds or do I just dig up plants to share with friends? I understand this is actually an herb. I love identifying wildflower... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planted bluebonnets won't prosper in Bluff Dale, TX. April 24, 2013 I have planted bluebonnet seed several years (this last year we planted inoculated seed) always the same results -germination, growth to 4-6 leaf stage, then very pale stunted growth, bronzing. soil t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with Blackfoot Daisy from Lewisville, TX April 23, 2013 I planted a row of Melampodium leucanthum (Blackfoot Daisy) last spring at the front of the front yard, next to the sidewalk. It's full sun, east facing, unamended black clay gumbo soil. I put mulc... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Asclepias purpurascens a Texas native? April 23, 2013 Is the Asclepias purpurascens a Texas native plant? If so where does it grow? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant ID from Villa Hills KY April 21, 2013 Hello I have this plant but I don't know what it is. I want to know if it's edible or what it is. I think it's catnip. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Foxglove safety from England April 21, 2013 Hi, regarding safety of foxgloves grown near edible plants - foxgloves are good companion plants for vegetables, in case of root vegetables they improve their storage life and quality. Foxgloves prote... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Shady Perennial Groundcover Suggestions for Indiana April 21, 2013 Could you please recommend perennial groundcovers for Indiana that are low and leafy, self-spreading, non-invasive, deer resistant, and moisture tolerant; and that are good for erosion control on a sh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Death of Texas Betony and Blackfoot Daisy from Austin April 18, 2013 I have one small area that there are two plants - Texas Betony and Blackfoot Daisy withered and died eventually. Same kinds of plants are doing fine close by. It is my front yard close to walk way.I w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning Lyreleaf Sage from McAllen TX April 14, 2013 I planted a few Lyre Leaf Sage last year and they bloomed beautifully. I let them seed out and had a number of new plants show up this year. I have never cut the flower/seed stalks back and now that ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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