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Ask Mr. Smarty 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 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!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

Questions From Near You

Surrey, BC
Pacific dogwood not fruiting
We have a beautiful Pacific Dogwood in front of our balcony. In some years it has fruit (berries) but has not for the past two years. When it does, it becomes a magnet for Northern Flickers. Is the pr...
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Delta , BC
Evergreen shrub/tree for British Columbia.
What kind of hedge or trees might work to provide privacy in our lower mainland British Columbia yard/garden? We need something evergreen that is perhaps,fast growing. Our yard is not deep and our k...
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Burnaby, BC
Controlling Pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata) in British Columbia
Hello, I am emailing from the west coast of Canada, Vancouver, and I have a plant question regarding a species you have listed on your website. We have recently discovered Pontederia cordata L. Pi...
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Coquitlam, BC
Advice on planting Korean dogwood (Cornus kousa) in Vancouver, BC
I live in the Vancouver, BC - Pacific Northwest area and the front of our yard faces south to southwest. If I were to plant a tree other than an evergreen, would the Korean Dogwood thrive in this are...
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Langley, BC
Plant Identification
Hi there. I have a plant in my garden I'm trying to identify. It started out looking like a cabbage but now is huge, It has a large stalk going up the middle with purple bell looking flowers coming...
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Vancouver, BC
How was salal (Gaultheria shallon) used by the troops in WWII?
We live in Vancouver BC. My mother says that during WW2 all the kids in her school were sent out to pick salal. They picked sacks of salal which were then sent to the troops. We are trying to find ...
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Vancover, BC
Propagation of skunk cabbage
Where can I purchase root stock for a start of skunk cabbage to plant? in my wetland?
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Vancouver, BC
Problem with acanthus in Vancouver BC
My girlfriend's Mom just planted an Acanthus in her garden. In the morning, it apparently stands up tall, but in the evening it bends over until the the leaves are lying in the dirt. She's concerned...
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Vancouver, BC
Grouping plants according to water needs
Explain how appropriate design/grouping of plants of the same water needs would make irrigation scheduling easier?
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Vancouver, BC
Consequences of overwatering plants
Explain how an error on the high side when watering would affect soil fertility management, IPM efforts?
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Vancouver, BC
Replacing a Grass Lawn with Moss
I have a small north facing yard that I would like to change from grass to moss. There is some moss now but still lots of grass. I need to rake a lot of leaves in the fall but want to get away from a ...
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Blaine, WA
Evergreen hedge for constant rain
We live in Washington State up north by Canadian border. We need a hedge that will survive the constant rain. We have tried cedar. They seem to turn brown and die,one at a time so we keep replacing th...
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Abbotsford, BC
Controlling pumpkin vine in British Columbia
I have never grown pumpkins before but decided to try one plant this year. It seems to be taking over my small garden space. Can I prune it back? I only want one or two pumpkins for my grandchildre...
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Bellingham , WA
Fruiting times of native trees and shrubs in the Pacific Norhwest
I am looking for information on fruiting/seeds/nuts times of native trees and shrubs in the Pacific Northwest. Obviously they fruit after they bloom but all I can find is very general information such...
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Bellingham, WA
Plants for a mixed hedgerow for privacy and for the birds
What are the best native plants for a mixed hedgerow in a small backyard? I want privacy (heights 5'-10') and bird friendly. Thank you for your information.
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Eastsound, WA
Plants for slope on Orcas Island, WA
Hi! What a great site! Okay, I have a home on Orcas Island, WA. We live here from about June through September, but only visit once a month or so the other times of the year. We are looking for somet...
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Olga, WA
Wildflower field for sewage leach field from Olga Washington
I am interested in planting a large native wildflower field at a resort in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. It would be over a sewage leach field for many cabins and bathrooms. Are there any ...
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98250, WA
Propagation on bamboo in Washington State
I have been trying for some time to grow bamboo in my garden. They rooted very well in the house but as soon as I put them in a large planter under the fir trees they turned yellow.They have a large h...
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Glacier, WA
Plant identification
We are trying to identify a plant that looks a lot like elephant ear, but has round leaves not heart shaped. It is growing in a wet area that gets good morning sun. It is not a native. It returns e...
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Friday Harbor, WA
Is Carolina laurel (Prunus caroliniana) a good choice for San Juan Islands, Washington?
What are the prospects for Carolina laurel here on San Juan Island, mixed in with thin stand of douglas fir, about 50 feet from shore, eastern exposure? Water is available but little sun because of l...
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friday harbor, WA
Thank you Mr. Smarty Plants
Hi, this is a note of thanks, powerful thanks, for your answer to my question about carolina laurel. Our disappointment was more than made up for by your recommendation to check out OSU's wonderful ...
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