Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

DONATE TODAY

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

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.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

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!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
4 ratings

Sunday - April 04, 2010

From: Las Vegas, NV
Region: Rocky Mountain
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native bougainvillea annual or perennial in Las Vegas?
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Are bouganvilleas annual or perianneal plants? What do you do w/them in the winter time. We live in Las Vegas NV

ANSWER:

The bougainvillea, a native to coastal Brazil, falls out of our range of expertise at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. We only deal with and recommend plants native not only to North America but to the area in which the plant is being grown. From this website Plant-care.com Bougainvillea Care, you will learn that they will die if subjected to more than a light freeze, and do not do well inside. Las Vegas is in USDA Hardiness Zones 5b to 6a, which means your plants outdoor would be subjected to average annual minimum temperatures of -15 to -10 degrees F. 

 

More Non-Natives Questions

Is cement leaching into flower beds in Colorado Springs?
May 16, 2009 - I have posed this question to a number of garden centers in our area around Colorado Springs--only to rec. a repeated--"Gee, I don't know." When we moved to our new home there was a rock concrete ...
view the full question and answer

Getting flowers to grow under non-native globe willow in Salt Lake City
June 12, 2010 - We have a globe willow in our back yard that is about 15 years old and cannot get any flowers to grow under it. Can you recommend what we need to do to treat the soil, and what type of flowers will gr...
view the full question and answer

Are non-natives, Dappled willow and Kousa dogwood, toxic to horses?
May 27, 2009 - Are dappled willow trees/bushes or kousa dogwood trees toxic to horses?
view the full question and answer

Identification of a tree in Florida with bell-shaped red flowers
November 23, 2012 - A friend in Florida has asked about identification of a tree with a flower none of us have ever seen. It starts with a green pod, then flowers into, what looks to me like a Chinese lantern, or bell. I...
view the full question and answer

Use of non-native jasmine for wedding in Salt Lake City
January 08, 2010 - I am getting married mid summer in Salt Lake City. I want to incorporate jasmine plants/flowers into my bouquet, centerpieces, etc. Is that feasible living in Salt Lake City? Would they survive long e...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.