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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

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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Thursday - October 31, 2013

From: Hutto, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Planting, Shrubs
Title: Rose bush varieties and time to plant from Hutto TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

What rose bush varieties are recommended for the Hutto Texas area and what time of year is the best time to plant into ground? Thank you.

ANSWER:

We cannot help you much there. The Lady  Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, home of Mr. Smarty Plants, is committed to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are to be grown; in your case, Williamson County, TX. The huge majority of roses sold and grown in North America are native to China, and therefore fall out of our range of expertise.

There are 30 members of the Rosa genus native to North America, of which 9 are native to Texas, including: Rosa arkansana (Prairie rose), Rosa arkansana var. suffulta (Prairie rose), Rosa carolina (Carolina rose), Rosa foliolosa (White prairie rose), Rosa setigera (Climbing prairie rose), Rosa arkansana (Prairie rose), Rosa stellata (Desert rose) and Rosa woodsii (Woods' rose). Probably none of these are what you had in mind, so since we have no information on other roses in our Native Plant Database, here are some websites that might help you:

Aggie Horticulture - Growing Roses

Aggie Horticulture - Plant Wisely

Aggie Horticulture - South Central Texas Rose Growing

gardenguides.com - How to Plant Roses in Texas

 

From the Image Gallery


Prairie rose
Rosa arkansana

Prairie rose
Rosa arkansana var. suffulta

Carolina rose
Rosa carolina

White prairie rose
Rosa foliolosa

Climbing prairie rose
Rosa setigera

Prairie rose
Rosa arkansana

Desert rose
Rosa stellata

Woods' rose
Rosa woodsii

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