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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.

Questions From Near You

Uncasville, CT
Control of out-of-bounds Virginia creeper
Our Virginia creeper (Woodbine) has outgrown its planned location this past summer. What is the best way to prune ivy stems for next years controlled growth?
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Oakdale, CT
Growth on underside of squash plant leaves
I have a mold in my garden that is oval in shape and has spikes growing out of it, the color is yellow. This mold (yup it's not a bug I checked) is all over the underside of my squash plants. Any hel...
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Niantic, CT
Plants that will grow on the Connecticut coast
I live on the coast in Connecticut and have a hard time growing plants here. I live about 1/2 mile from the beach and find that my soil is very rocky. The only plants that have done well in my yard ...
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Franklin, CT
Re-landscaping neglected garden in Franklin CT
I am starting from scratch in a yard that has no planting beds or, for that matter, plants at all. House was vacant for quite some time, grass was three feet tall when we moved in. I would like to p...
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Lebanon, CT
Plant Identification from Lebanon CT
What is that plant-- a wildflower --large thick stalk--flowers can be purple, pink, and very light pink. 3 branches off of stalk--flowers growing up each branch. Flowers smell similar to peonies.Leave...
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Old Saybrook, CT
Identity of shrub with brownish flowers called cinnamon bush
When I lived in Vernon, CT, my neighbor had a small shrub/tree approximately 5 ft tall with small ovate slightly serrated leaves. In spring it produced reddish brown flowers that were of a hardened p...
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Amston, CT
Male pollinator to produce berries on Juniperus virginiana from Amston CT
We have planted 3 juniperus virginiana 'Glauca' (on our Connecticut property) that have a few blue berries on them. Will they need a male pollinator to make berries? We do not have other juniperus...
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Hebron, CT
Ground cover for Connecticut sandy gravel bank
What ground cover plant can I use on a sandy gravel bank behind my house?
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Greenport, NY
How to use seaweed for mulch and fertilizer
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,I live on the Peconic Bay, Greenport, Long Island. We have an oyster farm and lots of seaweed. I've read that seaweed was used on farms in the past as mulch (fertilizer?). ...
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Austin, TX
Is Jerusalem thorn native to Central Texas?
I was reading about Retama (Parkinsonia aculeata) which is native to South America and naturalized throughout Texas and the southern US. I also read that it is considered an invasive plant species in...
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Brooklyn, CT
Non-blooming yuccas in Brooklyn CT
I have outdoor yucca plants that don't flower - - in full sun. Why?
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Coventry, CT
Identification of shrubs with red berries in Connecticut
In my yard there are bushes about 4 1/2' tall with red berries. The berries are bright red and somewhat translucent with striations visible through the skin.I thought they were gooseberries perhaps, ...
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Glastonbury, CT
Failure to thrive of non-native Japanese maple
My 10 year old Japanese red maple leaves suddenly started to curl up and die at the end of summer last year. Only about a quarter of the tree leaved out this spring, branches are dead. Can I plant ano...
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Ashford, CT
Windthrow Resistant Trees for Northeast Connecticut
We live in northeast CT, and prefer to plant native trees. Many people here do not want trees around their homes, despite the benefits of shade and shelter they provide, because they are afraid of win...
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Guilford, CT
Problems with non-native indoor palm in Guilford CT
My question is I have an indoor palm plant that I have had for 7 yrs. It has grown from about a 5" plant to about 3' tall plant. The past few weeks the leaves are turning yellow & brown and lost abo...
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Guilford, CT
Plants for property in Connecticut adjacent to a salt marsh
Hi - I live on property adjacent to a salt marsh. The salt marsh leads out to Long Island Sound. I would like to plant non-invasive native plants of Guilford, Connecticut. I do not know what plants ...
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Sag Harbor, NY
Salt tolerant plants for shade on tidal inlet in NY
Are there any salt water tolerant grasses or forbs with deep roots that grow in shade? I live on a tidal inlet/canal on Long Island NY. The southern bank has cedars and oaks but the soil is eroding ...
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Sag Harbor, NY
Hedge options for Sag Harbor, New York.
Hello, My fiance and I live in Sag Harbor, NY on the East End of Long Island. We would like to plant a hedge across our yard to separate the front and back and have privacy. Here is a picture o...
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Wakefield, RI
Deer resistant, Shaded Privacy Hedge for Wakefield RI
We recently removed the dead undergrowth of white pines that were used for privacy. We need advice as to what type of evergreen would be suitable for growth beneath the branches above. It is VERY shad...
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Wakefield, RI
Propagation of cardinal flower with variegated leaves from Wakefield RI
I purchased cardinal flower seeds from the Brandywine museum & have had great success for over a decade. Recently I spotted one cardinal flower with variegated leaves. Is this a plant worth propagatin...
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East Hampton, NY
Starting shade-tolerant ground covers in New York
Hi, I have seen some of the posts for shade-tolerant ground cover on the east end of Long Island and my question is process related. Now that I've identified the grasses/plants I need to keep my fro...
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