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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| Shasta Daisies without Petals August 21, 2014 My shasta daisies do not have the white petals, only the yellow center is in bloom. There are no visible signs of insects. They get a good amount of sun - about 5 hours per day. What could be the prob... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sages in Catasauqua, PA August 08, 2014 I want to buy a Texas Sage tree but I live in PA. Can I bring the tree indoors during winter? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Tall plant with bell-shaped upside-down white flowers July 18, 2014 2 tall plants grew outside my suburban New York house in June, blossomed late June. They looked like giant asparagus stalks, and the flowers were white, bell shaped, upside down, look like fairy skirt... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Starting Yarrow (Achillea) and Daucus from Seed July 16, 2014 I need to deadhead my cottage yarrow. I assume it has gone to seed. What do I do to plant it as seed? If I can do it, can I do it now or do I need to wait until spring. If I need to wait until spring,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Japanese Wineberry in Maryland July 16, 2014 Hello, we were at Cunningham Falls in Maryland and I can not identify this plant. If you could I would greatly appreciate it, thank you. It looks like a raspberry but the berries are inside small leav... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problem with non-native Shasta daisies July 10, 2014 Our Shasta Daisy has bloomed quite prolifically this year. I don't know what to do with the spent blooms/stalks. Do I trim them down, save the seeds, plant the seeds? Any help is appreciated. Thank y... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growing pecan and fruit trees near Canyon Lake, Texas July 07, 2014 I just bought a property on the north side of Canyon Lake in the Hill Country of Texas. Most of the trees around are cedar, and a few live oak. I know I have seen beautiful Pecan trees as well as seve... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting a non-native lucky bamboo plant July 05, 2014 I have gotten a lucky bamboo plant which is kinda large and want to transplant but don't know how can you help me? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Acre-scale Grass Removal near Austin, TX July 04, 2014 How do I get rid of 10 acres of Kleingrass? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Competition between Horseherb and Chickweed July 04, 2014 Ok, sorry I did it wrong the 1st time!? I live in Houston, and I have chickens! I also have mass amounts of Horseherb, and I want to buy some chickweed seeds and plant it for my chickens! My question ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Verbena bonariensis won't bloom in Galveston, TX. July 03, 2014 My Verbena bonariensis is thriving, but never blooms. The plants look healthy, are about 6 feet tall and in full sun. The buds turn light purple but never open to flower. My neighbor's vb are ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Apache Pine for Dripping Springs, TX. July 02, 2014 Is the Apache Pine tree a good choice for planting in alkaline soil with excellent drainage? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native pistacio problem Rockwall, TX. July 02, 2014 I have an eight year old Pistacio tree that has leaves turning brown and falling off. It is June! Why? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native fig problems in Austin, TX. July 02, 2014 We have a large fig tree in our yard. It has been healthy since we bought the house in 2006. But in the last week or so, the leaves have turned yellow and have wilted. It is full of fruit. I'm afraid... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native Meyer lemon problems in Dripping Springs, TX. July 02, 2014 I have a Meyer lemon that looks very sick. The leaves, limbs, and fruit all have brownish gold raised spots that are the size of a pin head. The spots on the leaves seem to run along the center of t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) July 02, 2014 Foxglove (digitalis purpurea) is not a native U.S. plant. It was introduced to the U.S. from Europe and is now considered invasive in many parts of the western U.S. It invades our forested wild land... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Viburnum dilatatum 'Henneke' (Cardinal Candy) toxic to horses? July 01, 2014 Is Viburnum-Cardinal Candy/Viburnum dilatatum 'Henneke' reported to be toxic or non-toxic to horses? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can non-native Epiphyllum (Orchid Cactus) be grown in Round Rock, Texas? July 01, 2014 Can the Epiphyllum (Orchid Cactus) be grown in the Round Rock Texas area or is this area too hot for it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Differences between Desmodium and Lespedezda June 19, 2014 i am trying to determine the difference between lespedeza and desmodium in my full sun wildflower and tall grasses meadow. There appear to be a number of different types of these plants, and they are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification June 12, 2014 We live in Magnolia TX and have a shrub we can't identify. It's evergreen and has waxy leaves with a serrated edge that are about an inch in length. They have pink flowers and they grow to ab... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Reblooming Potted Iris June 12, 2014 I have a pot of iris bulbs that are giving me just a bunch of leaves this year. Last year I had wonderful big blooms. Any suggestions about what I could do to get some flowers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Distinguishing native Celastrus scandens from non-native C. Orbiculatus from Lexington MA June 08, 2014 Dear Mr. Plants, I maintain a wildflower garden with the Lexington Field and Garden Club in Lexington, Massachusetts. Every year, I pull up sprouts of Celastris orbiulatis. I want to plan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Red poppies to bloom in November from Round Rock TX June 08, 2014 Hi, I want to plant poppy seed so that they bloom in November for Veterans and Remembrance Day. Can you offer any guidance? Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplant time for small smoke tree from Battle Ground WA June 01, 2014 When do I transplant a smoke tree that is still young, about a foot high? It is too close to a fence, which I fear will be a problem as it gets big. I live in Battle Ground, WA which is zone 6. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with non-native artichoke from El Paso, TX May 25, 2014 I have a five year old artichoke plant in the ground that gets sun and some shade, has plenty of fertilizer and compost. Gets enough water. It has been beautiful in years past and last year had 10 a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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