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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| Evergreen shrubs for Michigan June 17, 2008 I'm seeking a small-medium, ornamental, fairly compact, evergreen shrub to complement my front yard woodland wildflower garden. I want a shrub that will flank both sides of my front porch steps. I wa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native Hyacinth Bean vine dying June 17, 2008 I live in Missouri and have tried to grow hyacinth bean. Mine drop leaves (after some yellow appears on on them)and the vine turns yellow, then withers to brown. Other places near me grow them beautif... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Promote blooms on non-native plants June 11, 2008 I am trying to promote blooms on my several types of flowering scrubs and ornamentals, but not having much luck. I have used Miracid SuperBloom occasionally but not sure I am using enough, yet I may ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Black growth on sotol plants June 08, 2008 My mature sotol plants have a black-like growth on the leaves. Is there any thing I can do to treat what looks like a disease on these plants? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native banana trees June 06, 2008 I recently planted two types of Banana trees, a Darjeeling and a Giant Nepal. I know that both are hardy to my zone 7 but that the Nepal needed heavy mulching. My first question is how long will it ta... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Brown flakes on prickly pear in Los Angeles June 03, 2008 I live in Los Angeles CA. I have desert type plants in my landscape. I have prickly pear cactus that have developed some light brown, almost golden flakes on the skin of the pads. I believe it is call... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with non-native Cleyera and Red-tip photinia June 01, 2008 I planted a row of Cleyera in a bed that receives sunlight for about 3 hours during the middle of the day. My problem is that a number of the plants are dying. It begins with the leaves on one small... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fraxinus cuspidata (Fragrant Ash) May 30, 2008 Two part question: 1) Will fragrant (flowering; Fraxinus cuspidata) ash survive in Zone 7b? 2) Where can I get it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bark problems on Platanus occidentalis (American Sycamore) May 29, 2008 I got home today, after two hot sunny days, and found that one of the sycamores (street tree) planted last year (3-4" caliper) has vertically split and peeling bark on the south side of the trunk (la... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mystery cactus in Williamson County, Texas May 27, 2008 We have a cactus plant on our place that I have not seen anywhere else in central Texas. The flowers are bright yellow with wine-red centers, but very sparse--only one flower blooms at a time. The p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplant shock in Liatris spicata May 25, 2008 I bought a liatris spicata start a month ago, and transplanted it into my front yard (full sun, clay soil, moist due to all the rain recently). The plant immediately wilted so I transplanted it in ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for dry shade in Virginia May 23, 2008 I live in Reston, Virginia and have dry shade. What are the best plants to use for my garden. Xeriscaping and native plants are important considerations. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yellowing of palm tree leaves May 14, 2008 I want to know about palm trees. The leaves are turning yellow. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Brown, dry leaves on weeping willow tree May 01, 2008 We live in central TX and have just planted a weeping willow tree. Our back yard has a retention pond and ravine that parallels our property and we were told that the weeping willow will do perfectly ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Correct photos of Cynoglossum virginianum April 30, 2008 I recently found some "wild comfrey" (Cynoglossum virginianum) growing in woodlands in Atlanta,GA. When I used the photos on Wildflower Center website to ID this plant, I found what appears to be t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Too late to begin planting in May in Austin? April 30, 2008 Is it too late to begin planting in May? I live in Austin Texas and have finally completed my plans for a native Texas landscaping (plants and grass) of my front yard. I'd like to get the landscapi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tentative identification of non-native Senecio rowleyanus April 19, 2008 I am trying to track down a plant that I used to have but do not know what it is called. It grew in long strings of "pea like" balls. When planted in a hanging pot, the stringy "pea" like vines ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Red blister-like bumps on grapevine April 17, 2008 I have just discovered red blister like bumps on a grapevine. It is on the leaves as well as the stems. What could this be? Will it harm only the grapevine or other plants as well? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care in planting native Shumard oaks April 16, 2008 I am going to plant 3 shumard red oaks on the west side of my property. The land is basically rocky. What should I put in the holes to help the tree grow? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure of Bald Cypress to fully leaf out April 14, 2008 My family just moved to a house in Burnet County, about 7 miles south of Bertram, close to the Balcones Canyonlands NWR, with very rocky limestone soil. We bought several trees last fall, including a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fast growing trees in Idaho April 10, 2008 I want to plant fast-growing trees on my property in Idaho. What trees are poisonous to horses and dogs? I am particularly interested in the Royal Empress (Paulowmia) tree and the dogwood tree. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Viability of buffalo grass in Yuma, AZ March 30, 2008 Will Buffalo Grass grow in Yuma, AZ, where the temperature can go as high as 120 degrees in the summer? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fasciation in Houston. March 29, 2008 I live in Houston and have had a rather large flower garden for many years. Most of the flowers are just gorgeous but over the last two or three years I have noticed that occasionally some of the flo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Difference between liveoaks (Quercus fusiformis and Q. virginiana) March 17, 2008 I am a little confused on the identification differences between Quercus fusiformis and Quercus virginiana. How can you properly identify between the two? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information about empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa) March 07, 2008 I have an Empress Tree, 3 yrs old, and the limbs grow straight out from the trunk about 2-3ft and then grow straight upward. When do they start to grow outward for a canopy?? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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