Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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
Not Yet Rated

Wednesday - November 13, 2013

From: Garden Ridge, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: General Botany
Title: Student research on fire-resistance plant labels from Garden Ridge TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, I'm a 4th grader at Garden Ridge Elementary in Comal County. I am researching fire resistant plants. Can you please tell me if most plants' tags say whether they are fire resistant or flammable, is there a universal symbol? Also are there fire resistant grasses? Thank you for your help and for growing so many wildflowers.

ANSWER:

As it happens, your teacher sent in a similar question to Mr. Smarty Plants a few days earlier than you did. Mr. Smarty Plants is a team, and another member of the team chose to answer the teacher's question, which has now been done. Here is a link to that previous answer.

The only thing this member of the Team would add to that answer is that you might consider going to some local plant nurseries and just looking at labels on the plants for sale to see if any have any information like you are studying. You should go to at least one large commercial nursery or garden department in a home improvement store. We specialize in plants native not only to North America but also to the area in which the plants will be grown; in your case, Comal County TX. Those nurseries will have few or no native plants for sale, but at least you will know what kind of labelling they do. Next, visit at least one local area nursery that specializes in native plants. You can find some of these in your general area by going to our National Suppliers Directory. In the "Enter Search Location" box, enter your town and state or just your zip code, press GO and you will get a list of native plant nurseries, seed companies and consultants in your general area. Visit or contact one of them seeking the same information. This will give you some research material to present as part of your project. Thank you for the nice words about what we do and thank you for being interested in the environment, as we are.

 

 

More General Botany Questions

Plants that might absorb moisture from air
February 27, 2007 - I am searching for a plant that will reduce the relative humidity of a building. I work for a manufacturing company that is experiencing problems with water condensing on ceilings and equipment due t...
view the full question and answer

Define monoculture from St. Croix Falls, WI
May 30, 2014 - What do you call a dense stand or carpet of one species of wildflower? Our botany professor told us but that was 40 years ago!
view the full question and answer

Is it safe to eat vegetables grown in the same bed as foxgloves?
August 12, 2012 - I have foxglove in my flower beds and have planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and cantaloupe in the flower bed and now I am concerned about the shared root system. Also, my tomatoes are touching the...
view the full question and answer

Native plants of Arizona from Chandler AZ
March 26, 2012 - What are some native plants of Arizona, and how do survive in the heat?
view the full question and answer

Where do snake herb and skeleton-leaf goldeneye get their names?
October 05, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Where does snake herb, and skeleton leaf goldeneye get their names from? Thank you.
view the full question and answer

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