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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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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Thursday - March 27, 2014
From: Raleigh, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Invasive Plants, Non-Natives, User Comments, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Comments on previous answer on non-native invasives from Raleigh NC
Answered by: JImmy Mills
QUESTION:
https://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=7827 This answer is incorrect. Please have someone review it to remove the two invasive species you are encouraging people to plant by calling them natives. Shame on you for not double checking, people trust your site!ANSWER:
Thank you for pointing out our error in question 7827! We depend on alert readers like yourself to keep our answers as accurate as possible. I have corrected that answer.
The problem arose from misinterpreting information in in this link from mastergardenerproducts.com. When they said there are three major types of hardy bamboo in North America, I mistakenly transposed that to mean species. As it turns out, Arundinaria is the only genus of bamboo native to the US, and it contains three species native here: Arundadaria gigantea , A. tecta, and A. appalachiana. There are also some non-native Arundinaria species which have naturalized in North America.
According to the USDA Plant Profiles, all three native Arundinaria species occur in North Carolina.
More User Comments Questions
Advocacy of non-native plants.
December 10, 2012 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
Instead of asking a question, I would like to comment on the seemingly discouraging tone on growing plants or trees out of their native habitat that I have observed from rea...
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Non-native avocado trees in Rio Grande Valley from Austin
January 05, 2013 - I just read the article in the Austin American Statesman about growing avocados outdoors. Don't know if they grow here, but they certainly don't just grow in south Florida. I used to live in Wesla...
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You are welcome
May 25, 2013 - Dear Mills,
You are right. My elm has elm finger galls. Thank you
view the full question and answer
Kudos for Barbara Medford's answer
November 05, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants (say, should it not be Ms!),
No question, just a correction. Please correct my rating from 3 to 5 stars for Barbara Medford's response regarding impatiens, dated Dec. 8, 2007...
view the full question and answer
Correction of tree name from Bay Point CA
October 16, 2013 - The tree should of been Mulberry don't know how it was changed!!
Tuesday - October 15, 2013
From: Bay Point, CA
Region: California
Topic: Non-Natives, Cacti and Succulents, Trees
Title: Non-...
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