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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!

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

Questions From Near You

Wallingford, PA
Overwintering Juncus spiralis in a Container in PA
I have been growing a Juncus 'Spiralis' in a self-watering container on my zone 7 patio in Pennsylvania happily all summer. I have read that this plant is native and should survive outdoors over the...
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Wallingford, PA
Evergreens to replace a screening line of pine trees
Dear Mr. Smartyplants, I lost a "screening" line of pines along my back property line to powerline trimmers & a blight. The area is quite damp & the soil full of clay which is now acidic from the...
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Wallingford, PA
Plant identification
Hi, I live in southeastern PA, and want to identify a wildflower . It about 36" tall, with a showy red spiked flower at the top, appox. 2" in diameter. Thanks, Robin
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Media/Swarthmore, PA
Native plants for partial shade in Pennsylvania
Much of my growing area in Northern exposure, shade-partial shade once trees get leaves. I'm looking for native plants to use for screens and for ground-covers, grasses and edible plants.
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Media, PA
Deer resistant, drought- and shade-tolerant plant for Pennsylvania
Hello, I need a deer/drought resistant, shade tolerant, rocky soil perennial. I would like it to have some winter appeal. I live outside of Philadelphia, PA. Thank you so much for your time...
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Media, PA
Plants for shade in Pennsylvania
i would like to plant a small area in my rear yard, that is full shade in the summer (when the trees are full with leaves) and part shade in early spring. i live on a state park - there are plenty of...
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Mickletonn, NJ
Winter preparation for wildflowers
My first attempt at my wild flower garden is successful. I planted a box of perennial seeds, so I don't know what type of plants I actually have. My concern is what to do once the temperature drop...
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Glen Mills, PA
Damaged leaves on bottlebrush buckeye from Glen Mills PA
My recently planted bottlebrush buckeye plants' leaves are looking damaged but it doesn't look like insect or fungus damage. They look battered by wind but I don't understand why that would happen...
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Newtown Square, PA
Safe Concrete Planters For Plants?
We are building low concrete walls around a patio (in Washington, DC). Can we create the walls to act as planters or will the lime leaching make the soil too inhospitable for most plants?
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Newtown Square, PA
Deer Resistant Plants for Newton Square, PA
I'm looking for highly deer resistant plants native to PA. Thank you!
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Newtown Square, PA
Ostrya virginiana Compatible with Juglone
Is Ostrya virginiana sensitive to juglone?
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Newtown Square, PA
Plant to stabilize a stream bank in PA
Native plants to stabilize steep stream bank in semi shade to full shade. Southeastern PA. Thanks
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Thornton, PA
Identity of fern-like plant in woodland garden
what is the fern-like, hairy fleshy-stemmed, 12"-18" ht plant in my woodland garden
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Wynnewood, PA
Winter-interest plants in Wynnewood PA
Could you please suggest flowering plants that provide winter interest after drying out (ie with seed pods or interesting dried flower heads)? I'm looking for something that grows in full sun. Thank ...
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Wynnewood, PA
Evergreen for privacy in Pennsylvania
I would like to plant a tall, thin evergreen in my yard (the taller and thinner the better). Privacy is a goal, so we're looking for dense branches. The area gets full sun, and the soil in this area ...
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Wilmingfton, DE
Shade tree for cemetery in Wilmington DE
We are looking for a shade tree for a cemetery in Delaware. The tree will be planted only a few feet from some existing gravesites. What trees would you recommend that will not interfere with the ...
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Philadlephia, PA
Thermopsis caroliniana not in database from Philadelphia
Thermopsis caroliniana is not in your plant database. What is the reason for that? Thanks!
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Philadelphia, PA
Need suggestions for plants for bioswales in Philadelphia, PA
Hello, Are there a handful of species you would recommend for inclusion in bioswales throughout the US? I realize plants need to be selected based on climate, but I'm wondering if there are two or...
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Philadelphia, PA
Rust on Amelancier Foliage in PA
I live in Pennsylvania and have been plagued with a rust on my serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) trees over the past few years. I am unable to find very much information on this disease on the we...
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Philadelphia, PA
Plants for pollinators & honey bees in PA
In the database section entitled "Value to Beneficial Insects" on the page for "Tilia americana L" (also known as the Bee Tree, or Linden Tree, American Basswood); the tree is identified as being ...
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Philadelphia, PA
Problems with mature Blue Agave in Kenya
I have a mature Agave plant and there is a thin black liquid that looks like oil starting to appear on the leaves. The plant plant seems to be dying (from the bottom up). (The plant is a blue Agave an...
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