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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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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.

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St. Johns, NF
Low-growing plant for grave in boggy Newfoundland
I am looking for any suggestions on what type of plant I can plant on a grave. It is very boggy (peat)land. I want something that is hardy & not too tall. We have about 8 weeks of summer, July & Augus...
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Auckland, NZ
Smarty Plants on Americas national plant
What is America's national plant? (please answer this a.s.a.p because i can't figure it out and it's for homework)
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Tauranga, NZ, Other
Yucca elata flowering in Tauranga, NZ.
I have two huuuuuuge Yucca elatas in my garden. One of them flowered spectacularly last year - a 15ft stalk that grew so quickly you could hear it, and then burst into a cloud of waxy cream flowers. M...
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new zealand, Other
Growth process of plants
How does a plant grow?
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Brisbane, Australia
Identification of an Australian tree.
i have a tree i cant seem to find any info on, the tree has large almost heart shaped leaves with pinkish veins running through them, its not shiney anywhere, sort of a mat finish,the edges of the lea...
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Waikoloa, HI
Plants that donkeys won't eat
What plants/trees do donkeys NOT like? I live in Hawaii on the Big Island and they visit once a week in my yard. I like them but would prefer that they stay just outside. Unfortunately they like my...
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Hilo, HI
Non-native Concord grapes in Hilo, Hawaii
Hi, I live in a area that does not freeze over winter, and humidity is quite high. Do you think that Concord grapes will fruit?
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Kihei, HI
Flowering shrub for Kihei, Hawaii
I live in Kihei Hawaii, near the beach but across the road from it. I am looking for a hedge that flowers, can be trimmed is dense and grows rather quickly. 3-4ft in height. We have bougainvillia now ...
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Kihei, HI
Plants not native to North America in Hawaii
Do not know if you have any experience for Hawaii but here it goes. I live on Maui and have some coco palms, a line of 12, two of them right next to each other (15-20 ft). They are a decent shade of ...
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Kapolei, HI
Invasive iceplant in Hawaii
Last time I checked Hawaii was in North America. Invasive or not, iceplant continues to be a much used ground cover etc for golf courses, sides of the freeway and many many City and County projects pr...
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Kapolei, HI
Care for iceplant in Hawaii
Good morning Mr. Smarty Plants( I love the name) I live in Hawaii and have iceplant on the hill behind my house. Its established pretty well.I weed it often. How much water do I need and how can I get...
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Honolulu, HI
Bugs on non-native Pachystachys lutea in Hawaii
My golden shrimp/lollipop plant has aphid like bugs. They are darker and firmer than aphids but clump like them. They are consuming it. What are they and how do I get rid of them?
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Honolulu, HI
Plant Identification from Honolulu HI
We have a ground cover in our Honolulu garden that I have been told is Watermelon Plant. (Not the fruit). We would like more, but cannot find it or the proper name for it. Aprox. 6" round leaf. It...
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Honolulu, HI
State flower of Hawaii
What color is the state flower of Hawaii?
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Honolulu, HI
Identification of vine with white flower and \
I have a vine intruding from my neighbors yard that has small white blooms on them (similar to morning glories) and on the stem of the flower below the bloom, a "tiny watermelon" is growing..... It ...
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Honolulu, HI
Do Salvia coccinea and Salvia occidentalis occur in Hawaii
Aloha, Would you please happen to know if the salvia occidentalis and the salvia coccinea are growing in a wild state in Hawaii, the quantity (small or large areas? What are the weather conditions ...
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Pearl City, HI
Bermuda grass and St. Augustine for lawn in Hawaii
Is bermuda grass and st.augustine grass a good mixture for my backyard lawn?
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Koloa, HI
Shrubs for Privacy Fence in Hawaii
I live in Hawaii and need to create some privacy along a wall of my house. The septic drain field is 5' away and I am looking for 6'-8' shrubs that have shallow roots. Would something like cordyline f...
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Koloa, HI
Tahitian gardenias (Gardenia taitensis) salt and wind resistance in Hawaii
Are Tahitian Gardenias salt tolerant? We live on a rocky coastline in Hawaii and we get a lot of salt spray.
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Kahului, HI
Invasive introduced sandburs in Maui, Hawaii
I live in Maui, Hawaii & I have a serious problem with Cenchrus spinifex and/or Coastal sandbur grass (weed!) it is everywhere, in my flower beds, in my gravel yardscape. Every time I pull it out it d...
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Pukalani, HI
Hedge plant for Maui.
Question: I live in Pukalani, Maui, Hawaii and would like to put a "living fence" around my yard for some privacy. Ideally, I want something that is going to grow fast and about 8+ feet tall for a h...
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