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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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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Wednesday - May 13, 2009
From: Rapid City, SD
Region: Midwest
Topic: Trees
Title: What about planting a Colorado Blue Spruce in Rapid City, SD?
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
What would be the best tree to plant in my small front yard that would be low maintenance? I live in Rapid City, SD, and we are landscaping our front yard. We were thinking of Colorado Blue Spruce but I think that will get too big.ANSWER:
The Colorado Blue Spruce Picea pungens (blue spruce) is a handsome tree that is naturally conical in shape, and requires little maintenance. However its potential of reaching 100 ft makes it a poor choice for a small front yard. Fortunately, there several dwarf cultivars that are much smaller at maturity. The links below can give you more information about Picea pungens, and lists of dwarf cultivars.
North Carolina State University; list of cultivars
National Forest Service; general information plus a list of cultivars
If you go to our Suppliers Directory and type the name of your town and state in the appropriate box, you will get a list of business that sell native plants in your locale who can help you find the tree you chose.
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November 11, 2009 - Is it possible to plant Colorado Blue Spruce trees in the Boerne, Texas area?
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Over-trimming of native linden tree
November 06, 2008 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, My huge beautiful linden tree was just way over trimmed. It is planted near the house, so they cut most of the branches on that side all the way back to the trunk. I now have...
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September 04, 2012 - Our 15 year old pecan tree is losing it's limbs. The tree and its leaves look healthy with no signs of bugs or mites, but all the limbs are drooping and breaking off. The tree did have a bumper crop ...
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Fruit trees for Kempner, Texas
November 29, 2013 - I just moved to Kempner , TX and would like to plant a couple of fruit trees in my 1 1/4 ac yard. I would like to plant a species that will do well and produce edible fruit. Any assistance will be app...
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