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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Sunday - June 03, 2012
From: Spring, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Planting, Cacti and Succulents
Title: Repotting non-native Agave ghiesbreghtii from Spring TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I've recently purchased an Agave ghiesbreghtii, and will need to re-pot it soon. I have some cactus soil mix as well as a few rocks to put in the bottom of its new pot. There seem to be roots coming out of the holes in the container it came with, and a few leaves have brown and/or dead tips. Will the leaves and roots need to be trimmed, or will the plant survive with these once its in the new pot?ANSWER:
We learn something new every day. We had never heard of the species of the genus Agave. Wish you had picked something easier to spell. However, this plant is native from Mexico south to Guatemala and therefore is not in our Native Plant Database. This article from Cactus Art seems to have the best information for your questions.
More Cacti and Succulents Questions
Bringing upright a leaning cholla cactus
August 29, 2013 - I have a 3 ft. tall Cylindropuntia bigelovii
that fell over after recent rains. I righted it and supported it with garden stakes for about a month. I was afraid to pull too hard on the low...
view the full question and answer
How to prune Opuntia ellisiana in Decatur, GA.
August 20, 2009 - Hi Mr SP--How do I go about pruning an Opuntia ellisiana? I have saws, newspaper, heavy leather gloves, goggles, etc. But my question is more about what section of the plant to cut. The base has de...
view the full question and answer
Smarty Plants on bio-security
June 11, 2005 - Hello,
My friend and I are summer interns at the Bryan Mound Strategic Petroleum Reserve Site in Freeport, Texas. Our jobs as the interns is to find a plant that is friendly to the animals around our...
view the full question and answer
Questions about hollyhocks and yucca
May 25, 2016 - I have 2 questions. In Western N.Y. State the hollyhocks grow like weeds but add color with their large stalks. I've sent for seeds and the best I can do in N.W.Travis county is 9 inch plants that die...
view the full question and answer
Thorny shrub for deterring break-ins in southeast Texas
February 05, 2013 - Looking for a very, very, thorny three or four foot tall shrub for in front of windows to deter break-ins. Considering Rosa Rugosa rose but it is not native.
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |