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
coopersburg, PA
Ducks and geese resistant plants for a pond in PA.
We have a pond in all shade and we have ducks and geese. We would like to plant something in the space between the walkway and the pond to add color, but they have eaten everything we've tried- fern...
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Center Valley, PA
Establishing native pasture in East Texas
We are the owners of a 20 acre parcel in Harrison County, Texas. It is currently planted in pine trees. Our intentions are to thin and harvest the pine trees over the next 10 years. We would like t...
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Quakertown, PA
Container plants for Bucks County, PA
I live in Bucks County, PA and I would like to have a garden, but do not have a green thumb. Which plants come back each year that survive in large pots. Are daisies also a good choice for my garden...
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Hellertown, PA
Yucca blades damaged by weedeater in Hellertown PA
Can I cut off the blades of a Yucca plant that have been eaten on the edges with a weed wacker and are very unsightly looking? Can they be cut back to the flower shaft?
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Allentown, PA
Smarty Plants on arborvitaes
Hello,
I live in Allentown, PA and have a 7-foot arborvitae shrub in my backyard, planted in the corner of the yard where a wood fence intersects with the brick wall of the garage. I have had ma...
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Bethlehem, PA
Winter care of succulents from Bethlehem PA
We live in the northeast and we used succulents on our deck this summer because nothing else would survive the intense heat. How can I save these beautiful plants through a cold winter? Thank you.
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Bethlehem, PA
Identification of riparian plant in Pennsylvania
I'm wondering if this is a native plant: the plant is 3-5ft. tall, it has a tough reedy stalk, grows in sunny riparian areas, has whorled leaves with toothed margin, and has elongated clusters of tin...
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Bethlehem, PA
Forget-me-nots choking a spring in Bethlehem PA
Hi Mr. Smarty Plants,
I am restoring a native plant area along a spring that feeds directly into our local creek.
Right now the spring is becoming choked with forget-me-nots, that I am trying ...
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Bucks County, PA
Arborvitae thinning in Bucks County, PA
My arborvitae trees are about 11 ft. tall. I had them put in about 3 years ago. They were 8 to 10 ft. when planted. After the first year, I have noticed they are thinning to the point where you can se...
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Bucks County, PA
Grasses for Pennsylvania
What type of grass does the best in my area?
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Alburtis, PA
Failure of smoke tree to bloom in Alburtis PA
For whatever reason, my smoke tree did not bloom during its second season. Any ideas?
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Perkasie, PA
Need identification of a bush with red bumpy berries in PA.
Pennsylvania - We are trying to identify a bush that has small red bumpy berries. The berries are the size of a crab apple or a cherry. Can you tell us what it is?
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Perkasie, PA
Identification of plant growing with purchased plant
I purchased a heurchera and there was another plant that was growing in the pot with it. I planted both together in my garden. The "other" plant is growing and none of the gardeners around here has ...
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Perkasie, PA
Survival of wildflowers after Hurricane Irene in Perkasie PA
Mr. Smarty Plants,
We have (had) a beautiful row of wildflowers and sunflowers along the one side of our house. Now that Hurricane Irene has passed, most of the flowers are matted down from the wind...
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Perkiomenvill, PA
Wildflower planting in Northeast Pennsylvania
I live in PA, Northeast, and have high grass that is mostly wet, I was wondering if I could just throw wildflower seeds out into the high grass and if they would grow.
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Easton, PA
Flowering small native plants for Easton PA
Please name small flowering evergreen plants native to Easton, PA. These need to be wind tolerant and must be taller than 1 foot tall, no more than 4 feet tall.
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Easton, PA
Source for supplier of cedar plants in Pennsylvania
Mr. Smarty Pants - please disregard a stupid question I asked a little earlier today about sourcing cedar plants near Easton, PA. I figured out looking up "Nurseries" could lead to Yellow Pages ent...
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Easton, PA
Can you recommend a supplier for Comptonia?
Can you recommend a web supplier for the native plant Sweet Fern, Comptonia?
Thanks
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Easton, PA
Source for eastern red cedar trees for Pennsylvania
Please help, Mr. Smarty Pants! I live in Easton PA, and I would like to create an instant screen on my property line using Eastern Redcedar trees. I was hoping to find 5 to 6 foot trees. Most place...
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Phillipsburg, NJ
Questioning native status of Alberta Spruce in New Jersey
I am in the process of transforming my yard to native plants. Several years ago I planted a Dwarf Alberta Spruce. I want to be sure this isn't native before I remove it but haven't been able to fi...
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Phillipsburg, NJ
Native plants, wildlife hosts for small yard in New Jeersey
I live in New Jersey & am in the process of changing my yard over to native plants. My yard is very small & I currently have a Kousa dogwood tree that I want to replace with something native. I need...
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