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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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Tuesday - June 09, 2009

From: Jacksonville, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Problem with non-native gerbera daisies
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

My gerber daiseys leaf but they don't want to bloom. They come back. What am I doing wrong?

ANSWER:

The expertise and focus of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center are with plants native to North America.  Gerber daisies are native to Africa, Madagascar, South America, and tropical Asia and, as such, not really in our purview.   Here is a link to a site called "Growing Gerbera Daisies" that might offer some help or you could consult the UBC Botanical Garden Forums or the iVillage GardenWeb Forums with your problem.

 

 

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