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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| 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 | ||
| Mice eating seeds put out for birds June 02, 2008 I love feeding the wild birds and put out seed in our backyard. Now, I have a family of mice eating the seed and they are living in the trunk of our elm tree! How can I get rid of them without killi... 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 | ||
| Possible mildew on standing cypress May 29, 2008 My mother-in-law took some standing cypress seeds from Texas to Virginia several years ago. They have always done very well, but this year they are growing very tall, but the bottom half of the stalk... 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 | ||
| Evergreen groundcover under pine tree in NY May 23, 2008 Hello! I live in upstate NY. I'm trying to find an evergreen ground cover to plant under a pine tree. I believe it's a white spruce (but I'm not postive). I've read conflicting information reg... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Leaf cutter ants in potted Mexican lime tree May 21, 2008 Hi, I'd like to add a question to the recent post about leaf-cutter ants. I have a potted mexican lime tree that has been inhabited by an ant colony for several months. They are chewing holes in th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Chlorosis in tropical milkweed and asclepias tuberosa May 18, 2008 I planted both tropical milkweed and asclepias tuberosa. Both are chlorotic and the native milkweed has brown upturned leaves. Could it possibly be too much water? Or what? 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 |  | |
| Natural lifespan of wild plum trees May 12, 2008 We have a small border of Wild Plum Trees in our yard. Every year it seem that one or two of the biggest trees die. Do they have a specific life span? We transplanted the trees/bushes from the panh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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