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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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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!

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Questions From Near You

New York , NY
Large-scale container garden for New York City
I am a community volunteer in NYC who is trying to help a non-profit set up two large container gardens (about 3 feet high by 4 feet long by 2 or so feet wide). The problem is that they want natives,...
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New York, NY
Edible/medicinal plants in Suffolk County, NY
Which types of edible/medicinal plants are available in Suffolk County (Long Island NY)? Is there a place I can find a list with information about what they look like, where they can be found and what...
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New York, NY
Plants for a bioswale in New York City
I am interested in learning about the best vegetation for planting in a bioswale in New York City. Can you help? Thanks!
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New York, NY
Possibility of transporting native seeds to Europe
Hi, Is it possible to bring seeds for North American plants and wildflowers from the USA to Europe? I live in Italy and have many Italian friends who want me to bring seeds from America the next time ...
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New York, NY
Summer flowering small trees for NY
Request recommendations about trees for terrace. Would like flowers or color in summer; not spring. (Some of my trees are twenty five feet high.) Full sun, some wind, large containers. Please recomme...
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New York, NY
drought-resistant turf grasses for New York City
Hi - I work at the Smithsonian in New York City and we have a very large lawn that is frequently used in the summer for programming. It gets very beat up. I read an article in teh New York Times about...
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New York, NY
Plants for a Vacant Lot in the Big Apple
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, We have recently gone in to restore a vacant plot in Harlem. This soil is varied, but mostly rubble, old slag, some sand in one area, old fill- pH 7-8.5. We dug a small tren...
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New York, NY
Privacy screen for New York apartment balcony.
Hello, I live in an apartment in New York City with an outdoor large balcony. I would like to buy evergreens to make the space more private. Do you have any suggestions on what type of plant woul...
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NEW YORK, NY
Cactus failing to thrive in New York City
My cactus seems to be either weak or dying. Its long stems are bending and softer than the rest. What is happening to it?
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New York, NY
Native evergreen trees with highest value for birds
What native evergreen trees have the highest value for bird seed/fruit (other than Juniperus virginiana)?
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New York, NY
Skin care uses of sunflower seed oil
Just wondering what, if any, were the traditional uses of sunflower in skincare? I thought I read somewhere that the seeds were crushed up into an oil and used on the skin for sun protection? Is the...
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New York, NY
Alternatives to non-native and invasive Carex crus-corvi in New York
Hello. I can't seem to find carex crus-corvi (ravenfoot sedge) on any online seed/plant website. I was interested in buying seeds or plants. My last name is Corvi, and I would love to grow it. Can...
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New York, NY
Care of non-native house plant, Pachira aquatica
Mr. Smarty Plants, I have just bought a miniature money tree. I would like to plant it on a metal like decorative pot. What advice would you give me how to prevent the plant from getting any metal re...
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New York, NY
Finding Connecticut grasses on website from NY City
Your site w/ all its varied aids are great, and your answers are so helpful, so I don't want to seem critical with this question. I trained as a landscape architect in the Northeast 20 years ago a...
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New York, NY
Deer-resistant screening tree/shrub
Can you recommend a deer resistant screening tree/shrub? We would like to use privet but are not sure which variety or if the deer will really stay off it, we've had conflicting views! We live on th...
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New York, NY
Care for indoor Lemon Cypress
How do I care for an indoor Lemon Cypress tree?
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New York, NY
Native North American bulbs
I saw your list of 4 lilies native to the Northeastern United States, which was very helpful. What other bulbs are native to North America? Although I garden in Connecticut, I am interested in learn...
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New York, NY
Trumpet Vine Dropping Buds
My trumpet vine is dropping its buds before flowering. This happened last year as well. Do you know what is causing this and what I can do to prevent it?
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New York, NY
Full list of grasses for Connecticut from New York City
Sorry, this is a followup to the native Connecticut grass query I sent half an hour ago. I see that it was asking for 'recommended species' that I ended up with such a short list of grasses (3). Th...
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New York, NY
Stick with tried and true plants for a green roof in New York
If I use Virginia creepers in a ground covered application for a green roof, how much soil should I provide depth wise?
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New York, NY
Edible native plants in New York
In your plant database- which is great by the way- it does not say whether or not the plant is edible. Do you have any way to search for edible plants? Or do you have a separate database? Thanks!
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