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

Lyons, GA
Trailing milkvine, Matelea pubiflora, identified from seed pod
I have a vine that has a seed pod that looks like okra. Inside the pod is a small flat seed and a cotton-looking fiber. Please help identify, if possible.
view the full question and answer

Claxton, GA
Plant identification
Mr. Smarty Plants, I have some plants I cannot identify. They were given to me after a funeral. I love them, i would like to know WHAT THEY ARE??? Here are descriptions. I can get photos. (PS I liv...
view the full question and answer

Dublin, GA
Spotted spurge in Dublin GA
I noticed that you did not have a "Spotted Spurge", or "Chamaesyce maculata" listed. My Aunt asked me for help identifying it, until she remembered what it was.
view the full question and answer

Jesup, GA
Non-native eleagnus from Jesup GA
An elderly farmer has told me about a plant called Alley Agnes, but I can't find any plant by this name anywhere. He doesn't know another name for it, says it's what everyone has always called it i...
view the full question and answer

jesup, GA
Fast-growing native trees that are safe for horses
What trees can I plant that are fast growing for shade and, most importantly, safe for horses?
view the full question and answer

Jesup, GA
Caterpillars devouring Blue Wild Indigo in Jesup GA
I have a false blue indigo growing in my garden. Every spring it gets defoliated by Genista moth caterpillars. It usually doesn't put out new growth until the next spring. This summer, it has put ...
view the full question and answer

Ellabell, GA
Help identify a plant.
Could you help me to identify this plant?
view the full question and answer

Guyton, GA
Identity of a plant in SE Georgia
Identity of a plant- This plant is growing wild in SE GA, but I have never seen it before until this year. The plant has a stolon "root" system it forms an upright stem and a cluster of flowers begi...
view the full question and answer

Guyton, GA
Smarty Plants on science projects
Hello, i am a 6th grade student at a middle school in GA. I am doing a science project and my question is, "Does music affect plant growth?" Is there a plant that would work best for me to experiment...
view the full question and answer

Louisville, GA
Need a shade tree in a limited space in Louisville, GA
Mr. Smarty Pants, Hello! What kind of tree would be good to shade, in a limited space, and having a taproot? This is in middle Ga. One side of yard has main water pipe coming in off the road and ...
view the full question and answer

Waynesboro, GA
Source for wintergreen to make tea in Waynesboro GA
I want to know where to buy a wintergreen tree to make tea from. Thanks. I live in Waynesboro,GA.
view the full question and answer

Savannah, GA
Absence of grass around a willow tree in Georgia
In the past three years my Willow tree has grown from a stick to a lovely tree. Unfortunately, the grass under and around the tree is gone. Nothing left but dirt. Is there a remedy?
view the full question and answer

Savannah, GA
Pruning Wax Myrtle trees & bushes
When is the best time of year to prune Wax Myrtle trees & bushes.
view the full question and answer

savannah, GA
Plant identification in Georgia.
Help I bought a bush at the flea market and I was told it would have white star flowers and it was a hydrangea. The leaves look like cannabis but not furry. The leaves grow from stalks Help what did...
view the full question and answer

Savannah, GA
Grasses for erosion control in sand on coastal Georgia
I've been tasked with identifying native grass varieties or mixes (Coastal Georgia) that can be used for erosion control on sandy slopes created from dredged river sediment and that receive lots of s...
view the full question and answer

Savanna, GA
Native cherry trees for Georgia
Is it possible to grow any type of cherry in Georgia, USA?
view the full question and answer

Bonaire, GA
Stopping Soil Erosion on a Slope
I live in Bonaire, GA and have a slope in my back yard. The soil is red clay and it gets sun most of the day. A small section of this slope tends to have a mudslide to the bottom of the slope. How ...
view the full question and answer

Ridgeland, SC
Transplanting native azaleas in South Carolina
When is the best time to transplant azaleas in South Carolina Low Country?
view the full question and answer

Milledgeville, GA
Wildlife gardening in Georgia
I am looking for native shrubs/flowers that will attract butterflies and/or birds. I live in Milledgeville, GA which is in central GA, 1 mile from the Oconee River. Some areas of my yard are full sun...
view the full question and answer

Waverly, GA
May I send a blueberry picture for ID?
May I send a digital photo of plant for confirmation that it is a wild blueberry?
view the full question and answer

Homerville, GA
Problems with non-native corkscrew willow in Homerville GA
I have a corkscrew willow tree and it the branches are turning dark and dying. What could be the problem?
view the full question and answer