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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| Removing Old Poison Ivy Vines from Pecan Trees July 07, 2016 I am in the process of cleaning up a creek bank that has very old pecan trees on it. The pecan trees have large poison ivy vines growing up the trunks. We cut one vine and when it died and fell from ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| When Should I Prune Texas Sage? July 07, 2016 How and when do you prune Texas sage to encourage thicker foliage? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| When to Prune Desert Willow in Texas? March 18, 2016 I just learned I should have pruned back my desert willows. It's early March in North Texas. Is it too late to prune now? They are not leafing out yet. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Removing Center Stem From Desert Spoon (Sotol) in Phoenix March 11, 2016 I have a desert spoon. I hate the center stem. Can I remove the center stem without hurting the rest of the plant? And what is the best way to remove it? I looked for this answer in your questions bu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Should flower stems of Texas mountain laurel be removed after they bloom? March 02, 2016 Should I trim off the old flower stems from this years bloom on a Texas Mountain Laurel? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning Wax Myrtle trees & bushes February 28, 2016 When is the best time of year to prune Wax Myrtle trees & bushes. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning overgrown Texas sage February 15, 2016 Texas sage bushes have been left to grow like mini trees. Can we have trimmed back to get a 'full' bush? Bottom 2 feet of plant look so dead. Will it sprout again as a bush if trimmed back and do... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Rejuvenating an old Wax myrtle hedge February 15, 2016 I have 8 wax myrtles that were planted about 9 years ago as a screen from our neighbors. They are about 12 feet high. During the past 9 months they are getting thinner and thinner. Two of them hav... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen privacy screen 8 feet or less January 29, 2016 In needing to plant an evergreen privacy screen, what is the tallest Ceniza variety? I'm having great difficulty finding an evergreen hedge material 8' or less. After having taken a class in pla... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Reducing the Height of a Redbud Tree January 23, 2016 We have a very large, about 15-year old, Redbud tree that is growing so tall it's obstructing our view of the river. How and when can we prune this tree back so it does not hurt the tree. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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