Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
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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Monday - October 22, 2007
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native Gingko biloba in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Does a Ginkgo biloba tree grow easily in the Austin area? Does it take extra care to keep it alive?ANSWER:
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is focused on the care and propagation of plants native to North America. The Ginkgo biloba is about as non-native as you can get. In fact, it is considered a living fossil. It was actually thought to be extinct, but was found in China, where it is believed monks may have kept it going for hundreds of years. Click on the link for a site that has all the information you could ever want about this unique plant.More Non-Natives Questions
Problem with crapemyrtle shoots in Victoria, TX
May 13, 2009 - I have a problem with crepe myrtle shoots coming up in my flowerbed. I had to remove a large crepe myrtle tree (18" diameter stump) and digging out the stump was not possible. I killed the stump wi...
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Non-native Japanese maple
September 28, 2008 - I have a small Japanese Maple that I planted last fall. I planted it under a huge pecan tree where it gets dappled shade. It has grown very little this spring and summer and the leaves are gray and ...
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Why is my Weeping Fig crying leaves?
July 27, 2009 - I have a weeping fig that I bought Memorial day in Birmingham, Al. It has 8 or 9 trunks growing altogether. It sits on a porch with eastern exposure, only about 2 hours of sun. It has been losing l...
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Non-native Lorapetalum chinense from Driftwood TX
March 16, 2012 - In a previous response you said that it would not be wise to plant any trees with the word Chinese in it. Does this apply to Lorapetalum (Chinese Fringe Flower)? I would like to use this plant as a ...
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Will non-native poisonous oleander grow through non-native invasive bermudagrass in Ft. Worth?
February 20, 2011 - I was wondering if you knew which flowering plants would grow through grass. I have bermuda, have tried raised beds but due to uneven yard with lots of rock it would be too expensive to do properly. ...
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