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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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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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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

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Saturday - January 05, 2008

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Lists
Title: Plant fans for choosing native plants for the Central Texas region
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Has anyone created a plant "fan" that identifies and gives pertinent information on plants for the Central Texas region? The sample that I've found on fourpebblepress.com seems to cover the Rocky Mountain area for the most part. It would be so handy to have one to carry around while deciding on plants for our soil/heat/water issues here in Austin and in the Hill Country region.

ANSWER:

This Flower Fan looks like a very handy device; however, so far as Mr. Smarty Plants has been able to tell, such an aid doesn't exist for Central Texas. There are, however, recommended lists of native plants for the Hill Country. You can find one such list, Central Texas Recommended, on the Wildflower Center web page. You can narrow down this list by characteristics or growing conditions of the plants. The Kerrville Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) also has a list of Native Plants for Landscaping in the Texas Hill Country with their bloom periods, descriptions and cultural requirements.
 

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