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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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Saturday - November 03, 2012

From: Lakeland, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Erosion Control, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Erosion control from Lakeland FL
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

What native Ground cover is best for erosion control on slope of lake-front? Prefer not too invasive for this northern facing area behind a seawall and near large Oak tree.

ANSWER:

Generally speaking, the best plants for erosion control are grasses. Here is a previous Mr. Smarty Plants answer on virtually the same question; it is from Pinellas County on the West coast of Central Florida and very near your location in Polk County, so we believe most of the information would apply to your situation.

 

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