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
Swansea, Wales
Plant identification request from Wales, United Kingdom
I have a plant that has green and pink leaves and the flowers are dry but are like fingers on a hand. The leaves drop down when it needs watering, which is every other day, and the finger shaped clust...
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Wales, UK
Monarda species seed for heirloom gardens in Wales
Hello. I am trying to obtain seeds for the following Monarda species: - barletti, lindheimeri, russeliana, and viridissima. Our address is Wales, United Kingdom and we are hoping to obtain the full c...
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England, Other
Foxglove safety from England
Hi, regarding safety of foxgloves grown near edible plants - foxgloves are good companion plants for vegetables, in case of root vegetables they improve their storage life and quality. Foxgloves prote...
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England, Other
Cat eating yucca stalks in England
Is it safe for my cat to eat yucca as she is being sick and its hard to stop her
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Leicestershire, UK, Other
Problems getting desert western US plant Stanleya pinnata to bloom in England
I am having trouble getting my Princes plume (Stanleya pinnata) to produce a flower and then go to seed. Do you have any advice on triggering flowering in this plant?
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London, England
Petals of flowers on cake from London
Hi could you confirm that Gemini, Lisianthus and Lilies are non toxic if positioned onto a fresh cream cake (stem will be paced into a vial but the petals will come into contact with the cream). Thank...
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London, England
Source for common names of plants in the United States
Hello Mr. Plants!
I am writing to you on behalf of Carol Sharp who is one of the leading plant
and flower photographers here in the UK. We will shortly be making her
collections of work availab...
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London, Other
Identification of red/yellow/black flower in California
Plant found, April Mount Diablo CA 6 symmetrical petals red with a pattern of a yellow flower with black edge in the centre, I can not identify, please help.
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London, UK
Rotten Oranges
Do oranges rot if they are not taken off the tree when ripe?
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London, England
Petals of flowers on cake from London
Hi could you please confirm whether it is safe to position an amaryllis on top of a fresh cream cake (it will not be eaten, nor will the stem touch the cream, it will be positioned in a non toxic vial...
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London, Other
More on bluebonnets
My wife has recently contacted and met relatives from Texas (her father was a war baby born in the 1940's). Her new found Aunt Sarah has kindly given me some Bluebonnet seeds to plant "a corner of T...
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London, Other
Where do plants grow?
Where do plants grow?
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London, Other
How do cacti stay in ground
How do cacti stay in ground? I know that flowers stay in the ground by their roots but what about cacti?
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Plymouth, England, Other
Smarty Plants on Walter Ernest Jones
My parents are both huge gardening fans and for a mothers day present I would like to find a plant for her garden that has a connection with "walter ernest jones". Any part of this name would be gr...
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England, Other
Inadvisability of importing plants from one region to another
I wonder if you could help me. I want to send my friends some conifer trees from England to Florida USA. I went on the Department of Agriculture site and they recommended your site for questions. Than...
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Oxfordshire, England
Yucca sprouting shoots in Oxfordshire, England
I have a 20ft outdoor yucca with four huge branches.It is 11 years old. For the first time it has sprouted two side shoots on one of the trunks. They are about 12 inches in length. What is the best wa...
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High Wycombe, England
Trailing perennial plants for High Wycombe, England
Hello Mr Smarty Plants,
I would like to know what trailing plants are also perennial, preferably flowering ones but that also look pretty when not in flower? My kitchen looks out onto a five foot h...
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Broxburn, England
Natural barrier for sheep in England
Hi I am trying to find a plant that sheep will not eat to use as a natural barrier to keep sheep out of my R/C model flying clubs flying field.It will have to be a couple of feet tall and be a long li...
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Leicester, England
Are gourds poisonous, edible?
Are all the Gourds edible? How can I know which one is which? If it is not edible, is it poisonous? If not, what is stopping us from eating them?
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Nottingham, England
Damage to Yucca rostrata from Nottingham, England
Hi, I have a yucca rostrata which has had its head snapped off in high winds (we live in Nottingham, England) we have left the trunk in the ground, will this re grow?? What is the best thing to do wit...
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Nottingham, Other
Disease problems of non-native Weeping Willow
Could you please tell me why my weeping willow has got pink coloured leaves and seems very dry the bark is splitting and seems full of wood worm?
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