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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| topic | question | |
| Evergreen plant to cover parents' graves in Louisiana June 30, 2013 We want to plant ground cover on our parents graves in Plain Dealing Cemetery in north Bossier Parish LA. Soil is red clay/dirt. Want native plant, slow growing, short not tall plant, that might sta... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wet adapted plants for Virginia Beach VA June 28, 2013 I live in Virginia Beach, VA on Lynnhaven waterway (leads into Chesapeake bay, but at my point is more brackish). I've recently removed/contained bamboo with concrete and metal barriers and now want... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Poison Ivy in Semi-wetland Massachusetts June 27, 2013 You answered this question for Tennessee, but I would like an answer for a Massachusetts semi-wetlands area: What can I plant to discourage poison ivy, or at least make it very clear that it is poison... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for area around salt water pool June 27, 2013 What are some plants that will grow around my salt water pool where there is some salt water runoff occasionally. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Privacy Screening of House Next Door in NC June 26, 2013 Hello, I live in the house my parents bought in 1971 in Winston-Salem, NC. The house beside me is an eyesore and for sale at a very low price. I am afraid the condition of the house and yard next door... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Full Sun, Wind-Tolerant Shrubs and Vines for Steep MN Hillside June 26, 2013 My neighbor and I share a very steep, large (in total almost 200 ft. wide) west-facing hillside in Excelsior, MN on Lake Minnetonka. We both have a flat grass area at the bottom so the hillside does n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowering tree with non-invasive roots from Palos Verde CA June 24, 2013 Want a flowering tree with noninvasive roots for Palos Verdes, CA. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning non-native Chinese fringe flower from Austin June 24, 2013 When is the best time of year to prune Plum Delight? And how severely can it be cut back? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source for a soapberry in Pittsburgh PA June 22, 2013 Flower box Where can I buy a soapberry tree in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Spots on calycanthus petals from Buckley WA June 20, 2013 Petals on calycanthus develop black spots the turn into holes. Problem appears shortly after buds open. Occurs every year. Foliage is healthy. Plant growing well and doubles or triples size every ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Waxy deposits on Magnolia fuscata from Ethel LA June 18, 2013 I have a 4yr old Magnolia Fascata (aka banana shrub)- I noticed that it has small oval shaped yellow waxy deposits on the branches.. I have also noticed small black ants on the branches. The unknown d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Groundcovers over roots in Roeland Park KS June 18, 2013 Large Hackberry tree (aprox 50+years) roots are popping up above ground making mowing under/around it impossible. Is there a plant, ground cover, something I can plant, or cover the roots with that w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning Ageratina havenensis from Magnolia TX June 18, 2013 I planted a Eupatorium havanense last year here in the last sandy finger of the piney woods; it gets full sun in a well-drained raised bed, where it flowered well. I pruned it fairly close, and it cam... 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 |  | |
| Tree or shrub with non-invasive roots from San Jose CA June 16, 2013 I am looking for a small tree/ large shrub (non higher than a one story roof) with non-invasive roots to replace a 25 foot cedar. It is in a small area (5x 7) bordered to the side by a driveway... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can Monterrey Oak be topped into a bush from Austin TX June 16, 2013 I received a suggestion to use Monterey oak as privacy hedge by topping the small tree and letting it bush. I can't find any pictures or info on this being done though. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Drought & Deer Resistant Shrub for Shade in Medina, TX June 14, 2013 We are dedicated to native plants in Medina, but are desperate to find a drought and deer resistant shrub for shade. Would we be too far off base with an oleander bush? We know birds and most butterfl... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can animals eat bottlebrush buckeye without being poisoned? June 13, 2013 Can deer, bear and wild turkey and squirrels eat the nuts and leaves from the bottlebrush buckeye shrub without being posioned by it. 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 |  | |
| Doorway Framing Shrub for Arizona June 12, 2013 My husband and I live in Buckeye, Arizona and have a door that faces west. Anything on our patio (including our metal door) gets sizzling hot! Is there a flowering shrub that we can put right up agai... 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 |  | |
| Bottlebrush buckeye not leafing out from Newburyport MA June 11, 2013 We have a bottlebrush buckeye bush that has grown and blossomed for 16 years. This spring the bush failed to produce any leaves and there are no buds in anticipation of leaves. There are a few smaller... 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 |  | |
| Time of year to plant Texas Mountain Laurel in El Paso, TX June 10, 2013 When is the best time of year to plant a Mountain Laurel tree in El Paso? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with rock rose in Austin June 10, 2013 Hi Mr Smarty Pants, We have a Texas Rock Rose which is growing next to our gravel path in Austin, with grass growing under it. In the last week, it has stopped blooming suddenly, and all the leaves h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Damaged leaves on bottlebrush buckeye from Glen Mills PA June 09, 2013 My recently planted bottlebrush buckeye plants' leaves are looking damaged but it doesn't look like insect or fungus damage. They look battered by wind but I don't understand why that would happen... 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 |  | |
| Lippia alba for sale at Wildflower Center June 09, 2013 Do you have this plant for sale Lippia Alba. thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Difference beteen two non-native photinias from Nashville TN June 07, 2013 What is the difference between red tip phontinias and fireball phontinias. I read that fireballs are also called red tips but I thought that red tips grow to like 12 ft. and the tag on the fireball I... 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 |  | |
| Windbreak [Dustbreak] for Shelton, WA May 31, 2013 I live on a well traveled, dusty, gravel road in the Pacific North West and would like to plant a barrier to help control the dust. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Windbreaks for Monterey County, CA May 31, 2013 I am trying to find good wind breakers for Monterey County area, very windy in the valley. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Will a Honeysuckle Shrub Damage a House Foundation? May 31, 2013 I'm thinking about buying a honeysuckle bush. I would like to plant it close to my house. Can the roots of this bush cause any damage to the foundation to the house? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Getting a senna to fill out from Irvine CA May 30, 2013 I have a Senna of some kind, started from a seed by a friend. I got it as a small,six in high) seedling. After two years it is now blooming beautifully, but is a single thin stem 4 feet tall with ve... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning of tree poppy from Livermore CA May 29, 2013 We have a Dendromecon rigida which has been in place for about 10 years and is doing fine. But the older growth gets dry, brown and crinkly, while the newer growth is bright and lush. I would like t... 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 |  | |
| Yaupon sprouts from Bennettsville SC May 29, 2013 I have Yaupons in a flower bed and they have too many shoots to pull up, can I spray them with roundup and not kill the bush and what strength should I use? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shrubs for area around underground storm shelter May 27, 2013 We want to plant shrubs around our underground storm shelter to divide it from our parking area. Obviously, this is to avoid having someone drive on top of the shelter. What native shrub to North GA ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Fruit crops to grow in Tennessee mountains May 27, 2013 My property has a lot of rock formations throughout it and has hundreds of cedars where it is not pasture. I am wanting to grow fruit trees and berry bushes but don't know what can grow in this e... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-fruiting Willamette raspberry plant in Wateford CA May 23, 2013 I have a 2 year old Willamette Raspberry plant that has many blooms, bees, great growing conditions, very healthy but has never set one fruit. I know about pruning. Any suggestions? It has been bloomi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shrub to hide gas line and water faucet from Stamford CT May 23, 2013 I have a small garden ( 8'x10') in front of my house in southwestern Connecticut which faces north. It gets very limited sun and the eave hangs over it. I am looking for a shrub to plant up against ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native ligustrum in non-native fescue in Medina TX May 22, 2013 Is there an effective way to kill baby ligustrums coming up in my fescue yard without harming the grass? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native replacement for bamboo from Houston May 21, 2013 I've read one reply where you do not advise using Bamboo as a privacy fence plant. What do you suggest in its place? The suggestions on the one I read will not work for me. Your suggestions were My... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen flowering shrub for San Antonio, TX May 20, 2013 Need a suggestion for an evergreen flowering bush, 3 ft tall for shady area by front door. Have gardenia bushes there now - did well until we had a hard freeze and have struggled ever since. Ideas ple... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to deal with suckers on Flame-leaf Sumac May 20, 2013 Hi! It seems you can have too much of a good thing! Our flameleaf sumac is taking over our yard. There are multiple shoots appearing in our flower beds and in the lawn. How do I get rid of the unwante... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Replacement for running bamboo in California May 20, 2013 We currently have running bamboo planted next to the side our house facing West, which has provided wonderful shade in front of two large windows. However, because it is running bamboo we are afraid i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Limiting erosion around pond from Brooklyn Park MN May 20, 2013 Minnesota resident, wants to find plant limit erosion from pond? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of a shrub in San Marcos, TX May 20, 2013 On a walk in Austin's Barton Creek greenbelt, a Treefolks volunteer identified a shrub that I also have on my property in San Marcos as blue candalia. However I can't find a plant by that name via w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shrubs and trees over septic tank in Killen AL May 20, 2013 Our church has 5year old blue rug juniper, a crape myrtle and two shrubs I can't identify planted over the septic tank which is surrounded with concrete and asphalt. I am afraid these will cause a pr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Scarifying seeds of evergreen sumacs from Lockhart TX May 19, 2013 Dear Smarty Plants, We would like to grow our own evergreen sumacs. Consulting Nokes book, How to Grow Native Plants on page 310, it says to scarify fresh uncleaned seeds for 30-45 minutes. On page... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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