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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

richmond, VA
ID for Dill-like weed
I live in Richmond,VA.and have a man made dam for a pond fed by several springs. There's a scruffy weed that looks like dill weed when it emerges in the spring but is so tough that I can't pull it u...
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Richmond, VA
Plants native to Virginia
I would like to know what websites you would recommend for information about plants native to Virginia. Glad to have found Mr. Smarty Plants, it will be tops on my Favorites list. Thanks for your t...
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Richmond, VA
Larval host plants for Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies
I am looking for a list of larval host plants for Painted Lady butterflies. Could you provide such a list?
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Richmond, VA
Plants for a steep bank in Virginia
I have a small yard with a 3 foot steep bank that I want to plant on. I am looking for fast growing ground cover. There is some shade but not a lot and has a southern exposure. Ground is a bit roug...
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Richmond, VA
Diseased non-native red tip photinias from Richmond VA
Our red tip trees have a while substance on the bark at the base of each tree..look like some kind of fungus or mold, but we don't know how to get rid of it. Please help.
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Richmond, VA
Long-legged bugs eating roses in Richmond VA
There are bugs eating my roses. What can I do? They look like long bugs with a lot of legs.
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Richmond, VA
Need recommendations for privacy screen in Richmond, VA
Hello, I read through the previous posts on privacy screen plantings in the Mid Atlantic region. There was a lot of great information, but I has a specific question that was not answered. I would li...
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Henrico, VA
Native flowering vine for trellis in shade in Henrico, VA
I live in Henrico, Virginia and have a trellis in a shady area. I am looking for a native vine to grow, preferably one that flowers and attracts birds and/or butterflies. What do you advise?
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Henrico, VA
Erosion Control in a Mid-Atlantic Shoreline
My family owns a riverfront property off of Machodoc Creek which runs into the Potomac on the Virginia side. The water is roughly 3 feet deep at the shoreline and concrete cylinders are used to contro...
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Glen Allen, VA
Shrubs for house landscaping in Virginia
I would like suggestions for types of shrubs to be planted in front of my house.
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Midlothian, VA
Replacement of non-native red tip photinias in Midlothian VA
I need to replace our long lived red tips. They are now diseased. I would like a fast growing bush that I can trim and make a hedge with. Any suggestions
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Midlothian, VA
Why is my weeping willow looking so bad?
My weeping willow suddenly up and looked like it died Yellow leaves dried up and dropping off It is planted in what is called "Wet lands" Clay soil water wet Just looks like it is dying
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Chesterfield, VA
Problem with Salvia Mystic Spires in Chesterfield VA
Last August, our local Lowes had these beautiful, unusual blue perennials on the discount rack called "Salvia Mystic Spires". For 50 cents each, they looked terrific, so I bought all they had, about...
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Chesterfield, VA
Native shrub for Chesterfield VA
Need a native shrub for the north side of our house that is deer resistant, not overly sensitive to wind, and can tolerate clay soil. Preferably 3-8 feet. Thanks for your help.
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Hopewell, VA
Need a tree that grows only 15 feet tall in Hopewell, VA.
We would like to landscape an area of our yard with a tree that grows no higher than 15 feet. This location receives full sun most of the day and we would prefer a drought tolerant species or one tha...
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Doswell, VA
Non-toxic plants for horses in Virginia from Doswell VA
Looking for a list of Non Toxic plants to horses in the State of Virginia.
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Powthan , VA
Reproducing Echinacea 'Sunbeam' from Powthan VA
I would like to reproduce a flowering plant- Sundown echinacea. I have a plant now. Can you give me info on how to do it? thanks so much.
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Dinwiddie, VA
Identification of a plant saprophytic on oaks
What is name of plant poking up through the leaves near base of oak tree that appears as a cluster of yellow-brown stalks that resemble small pinecones or pineapples or cobs of corn?
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Center Cross, VA
Plants to prevent riverbank erosion in VA
Looking for a plant to prevent erosion on a riverbank on the Rappahannock River in Virginia. Prefer something low, bank is a bit steep for regular mowing but could be mowed infrequently. Riverbank h...
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Williamsburg, VA
Controlling vegetation around retention pond in Williamsburg, VA
We planted Juncus effusus around a retention pond and various native shrubs last year. We are having a problem controlling bramble,lespedeza and broadleaf natives from taking over and native trees(wil...
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williamsburg, VA
Value of planting wildflowers versus maintaining turf
I'm trying to determine the cost/value of planting wildflowers and whether it is less costly than maintaining turf. Do you have any research on this topic?
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