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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Tuesday - April 26, 2011

From: Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Weeds invading non-native Asian Jasmine in Dallas
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Weeds have invaded my Asian Jasmine. What can I do to kill the weeds and not the Asian Jasmine?

ANSWER:

Asian Jasmine originates in, well, Asia; more specifically, Korea and Japan. As we did our research, we found more questions about how to get rid of the Asian Jasmine than how to get rid of weeds in the Asian Jasmine. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native not only to North America but to the areas in which those plants grow naturally. This plant can be very invasive, climbing over shrubs and trees, even up walls, where you do not want it.

If you are asking for an herbicide that will kill the "weeds" and not harm the Asian Jasmine, that isn't going to work, either. In the process of spraying, you will kill a whole lot of stuff you didn't want killed, as the herbicide floats in the air. Those weeds that are coming up may very well be native plants that belong there, but if you want them out, you are going to need to select what you consider a weed and pull it out. And keep it from blooming and thus reseeding. This will probably be an ongoing project, plants are pretty determined to survive, and it's doubtful that either the jasmine or the weeds will successfully kill the other out.

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Tuesday - April 26, 2011

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