Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers Nan Hampton, Jimmy Mills and Barbara Medford to be the culpable and capable parties. Yet, others think staff members Damon Waitt, Joe Marcus and Philip Hawkins might 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.
Questions From Near You
Santee, CA
Evergreen for inland San Diego, California
I'm looking for an evergreen tree for my inland San Diego residence, 30 foot max height, growth speed is not important. I had decided on the carrotwood until I found your site and discovered the prob...
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Santee, CA
USDA Hardiness Zone of Rancho Bernardo, CA
What plant zone is Poway, Rancho Bernardo CA?
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Santee, CA
California native plants for a steep slope
We are looking for California native plants for a steep south facing slope that do not attract bees. Can you please provide a list?
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El Cajon, CA
Replacing non-native iceplant in El Cajon CA
Help! We are clearing fungus dead iceplant on a massive steep bank. Should I avoid replacing it with more iceplant? Would myaporum prostrate be a better option? Fast growing, erosion resistant, zero m...
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La Mesa, CA
Caterpillars ate my Sophora in La Mesa, CA.
Before I noticed what was happening, my newly-planted 1 foot tall Sophora secundiflora was eaten by caterpillars. It now has no foliage. Do you think it will leaf out again?
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La Mesa, CA
More on bluebonnets
Do you have a sense of a peak viewing time for Bluebonnets for this spring?
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El Cerrito, CA
Fast-growing tree for privacy in Berkeley, CA
Help. I need fast growing tree for backyard privacy.
Where in Berkeley is there a tree nursery to
Buy Pittosporum trees?
Thank you.
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Poway, CA
Different kinds of plants living in subarctic areas
What are the different kinds of plants live in the subarctic areas?
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Poway, CA
Need Shade Trees for Entry in Poway, California
Hi -
Our front door gets a lot of afternoon sun, so we'd like to plant a couple of shade trees near the entry way. Unfortunately we don't have much room between our entry path and the driveway, so...
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Alpine, CA
Identification of plant in wildflower show
Was in Julian California yesterday for a wild flower display. Had a bad stomach ache as I was walking around looking at the flowers. Saw this one. About 6 inches tall. Instead of leaves, it had wh...
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Alpine, CA
Non-native invasive carrot wood tree losing leaves in Alpine CA
My carrot wood tree is losing all of its leaves. The tree is about 15foot high & 13 years old. Could it be gophers? The tree was trimmed 1 year ago.
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Alpine, CA
Flying insects eating leaves of non-native Brugmansia in Aline CA
I have an Angel Trumpet tree. We live in Aline, California
30 miles east of San Diego. Little yellow and black flying
bugs eat the leaves. Do you have a remedy for this problem.
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San Diego, CA
Weak flowering on rosa minutifolia from San Diego CA
Hi, I have a Rosa minutifolia and has been doing great, but when it gives flowers the petals fall too fast, only last a day or two and also the fruit never forms completely and finishes drying so I ca...
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San Diego, CA
Vine for yard with morning sun in California
Hi,
What is a good perennial vine to grow on the front of our house? We would like a fragrant flower too. It will be on a wood support beam, helping cover some pipes we have there. It will be an e...
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San Diego, CA
Evergreen vine for San Diego, California
I am looking for an evergreen (San Diego) vine to grow on a newly constructed trellis. Its 12' tall by 8' wide and is on the North side of the house. That area seems to only get sun June and July ...
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san diego, CA
What will grow under a California Pepper tree?
What will grow under a California Pepper tree with a shady area oak tree nearby in a coastal community?
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San Diego, CA
Area needing soil amendment in San Diego
I have a dirt area in the corner where my fence comes together. The dirt is clay-like and during the winter the area gets very little, if any, sun and during the summer it gets 4-6 hours of sun. Wha...
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San Diego, CA
Cutting bloom stalk of century plant in San Diego CA
My 28 yr old century plant will bloom soon. I understand it will die. Will this 30 ft stalk then likely fall? Will I need to call someone to cut the dead stalk? The base is nearly 7 ft by 6ft - n...
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San Diego, CA
Seeds of agave attenuata from San Diego CA
After the agave attenuata bloom dried up there are seeds like thing hanging on the foxtail; do I leave it until it dies or do I chop that down. Are those seeds for propagation. The leaves of the plan...
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San Diego, CA
Smarty Plants on aceae
How is the family suffix "-aceae", as in Asteraceae, pronounced? I find disagreeing claims in my searches- "ay-see-ee" and "ay-see-ay" seem to be the most common, but I've also seen just "ay-...
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San Diego, CA
Unusual vine in San Diego County, California
Dear Mr. or Ms. Smarty Pants,
I came across an unusual vine winding through a young Zumaque growing off the edge of a mesa in San Diego (coastal sage scrub). The small (fingernail-sized)leaves rough...
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