Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Ask Mr. Smarty 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.

Support NPINHelp grow the Native Plant Information Network by giving to the Plant Database Fund or subcribing to Wildflower magazine.

Subscribe online now
Mr. Smarty Plants would give Wildflower magazine two thumbs up...if he had two thumbs.
Share

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.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

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

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...
view the full question and answer

West Chester, PA
Need grasses to stabilize a moderately steep slope in Pennsylvania
Hello. We have a moderately steep slope in a shady area that is in need of some help. The grass that is in place there seems to be thriving - nice and green, with good growth. However, kids running...
view the full question and answer

West Chester, PA
Ground cover under Spruces from West Chester PA
Trying to get a native groundcover (or any grass/wildflower/fern) planting established under a small stand of spruces. Established stand (30+ years old), so lots of needles on ground. Just about tot...
view the full question and answer

West Chester, PA
Ground cover for a dry slope in PA
My side yard is a slope with rocky (a lot of small serpentine rocks) soil under white and black pine trees. I can grow lots of weeds :-) but would like to plant a low (0-3in) evergreen ground cover th...
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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
view the full question and answer

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?
view the full question and answer

Newtown Square, PA
Deer Resistant Plants for Newton Square, PA
I'm looking for highly deer resistant plants native to PA. Thank you!
view the full question and answer

Newtown Square, PA
Ostrya virginiana Compatible with Juglone
Is Ostrya virginiana sensitive to juglone?
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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
view the full question and answer

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...
view the full question and answer

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.
view the full question and answer

Chester, PA
Identification of first flower on Earth
When was the first on Earth and who find it and what was the name of the flower. Also what part of the Earth was if find?
view the full question and answer

Devon, PA
Is Asclepias incarnata poisonous to dogs?
Is Asclepias incarnata safe in a farm/yard with plenty of dogs running around? What happens if a dog eats the leaves or seeds or pods? Is eating any of these fatal to dogs?
view the full question and answer

Downingtown, PA
Low Ground Cover for Steep, Shaded PA Site
I am located in Downingtown, PA, right on the border between Zone 6 and 7. Please provide a recommendation of a native ground cover for the following conditions: steep slope (greater than 45%), full s...
view the full question and answer

Downingtown, PA
Identification of plant with speckled green leaf
I have a purple (or brown) speckled green leaf plant with tiny yellow daisy-like flowers. The leaf is fuzzy looking on the edge. Self seeds freely in my shady garden.
view the full question and answer

Downingtown, PA
Shade plants to replace a lawn in PA
Our neighborhood is built into a hill and our backyard is along the slope. We cannot keep grass in the area (except for a few clumps). The area is mostly shaded and moist-dry however when rain comes t...
view the full question and answer

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 ...
view the full question and answer

Wilmington, DE
Is mulberry tree inhibiting growth of plants under it in Wilmington DE?
I have a large mulberry tree in my yard and the plants around it are not flowering or growing, some are now dead. Could the mulberry tree be toxic to other plants?
view the full question and answer