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
Woodbury, TN
Plant identification
Need to identify multi branched plant, feathery appearance, approx 6' tall stalks, grows in clusters. Tiny whitish/pink flowers at top of stems. Very similar in appearance to milfoil, only these grow...
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Woodbury, TN
Plant ID in Woodbury TN
Please help identify this unusual plant.
I am in Middle TN, Cannon County.
This plant comes up every year and looks like something tropical. It has huge leaves about 16 + inches wide. and grows abo...
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Murfreesboro, TN
Propagating Magnolia grandiflora from Murfreesboro TN
There are several Magnolia grandiflora (Southern magnolia) that have been planted in my neighborhood in middle Tennessee by a landscaping company, and now that they all appear to be producing seeds, ...
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Watertown, TN
Planting native blueberry bushes in Tennessee
I have long wished to have wild blueberry bushes at my home. They are native to mountainous regions of my state, but I don't know whether or not it is reasonable to expect to be able to grow them wh...
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Altamont, TN
Native Suppliers Directory
we are a wholesale wetland plants nursery.we'd like to be added to your wetland plant suppliers list.
thank you
tammy sons
tn nursery
12845 state rt 108
altamont tn 37301
931-692-4252
www.wetl...
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Granville, TN
Plants for a steep lot in Tennessee
I have built a home on a very steep lot (approx 1 1/2 acres)in Northern Central Tenn in Jackson County. The lot is too steep to mow and some of it is too steep to stand on comfortably. My question is...
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Antioch, TN
Identification of vine with 4-petaled purple flower
Does anybody know what vine has a purple four petaled flower with small bulb in middle??
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Antioch, TN
Identity of white flowers, 6 petals and 5 yellow stamens
Have white flower with 6 petals and 5 yellow stamen in middle . Looks like yellow stamen star cluster. Could be Gladious or Star of bethleham but Star has 6 yellow stamen in middle right? Can you id...
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Cookeville, TN
Native plant initiatives for universities in Southeast U.S.
Hello, I am an undergraduate student majoring in botany at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN. I am a native plant enthusiast and would like to promote n.p.'s on campus. Do you kn...
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Brentwood, TN
Native wildflowers and grasses for sunny field in Nashville, TN
I want to plant wildflowers in a sunny field (old pasture land) in Nashville, Tennessee. I plan on killing the existing weeds and tall grasses with roundup this fall and planting native grasses (wha...
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Franklin, TN
Annuals victims of allelopathy under a hackberry tree in Franklin TN
In our new home's back yard we have a 30' hackberry tree that's less than 20' from our house, on the NW side. I planted your typical shade annuals, impatiens, etc., in the mulch bed under the tre...
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Franklin, TN
Bluebonnets and wildflowers for Nashville TN
I have several packets individually of both bluebonnets and of wildflowers, and want to plant them on 2 hills that we have around our home. We live near Nashville, and aren't even sure if the bluebo...
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Franklin, TN
Tree near a patio in Tennessee
What type of tree would you plant near a patio (new home and yard) that gets afternoon sun? Thanks
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Old Hickory, TN
Insect pests in Gaillardia aristata in Tennessee
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I have a couple of 'Oranges and Lemons' blanketflower plants in a butterfly and hummingbird native flower garden that is the foundation planting of my house. They bloom prol...
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Gallatin, TN
Identification of shrub with red berries in Tennessee
Hello,
I've got a shrub in my backyard; it has leaves off in groups of 3 and it has multiple reddish berries in groups by the dozens. I'm not sure what plant it is. The shrub is stick-like and appr...
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Gallatin, TN
Native plants for roadside in Gallatin TN
What native plant would you suggest that we try to establish on 100 feet of road frontage which gets full afternoon sun? The soil is mostly clay, and it's on a rather sleep hill about 10 feet high. ...
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Gallatin, TN
Smarty Plants on Echinacea paradoxa
What kind of habitat (soil, sun, water etc) does Echinacea paradoxa like to live in?
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Hendersonville, TN
Is the fruit of Bradford Pears toxic to dogs?
I need to know if the little Berries on the Bradford Pear trees are toxic to dogs? My labrador loves eating them.
Thank you,
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Nashville , TN
Identity of a fern-like plant in Nashville TN.
There is a fern like plant that is growing in partial sun in my front yard. It closes and opens with the sun.
Its leaves are lacy and long; so far no flowers.
I have pictures but not for this format...
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Nashville, TN
List of native plants for landscaping in Nashville, TN
Can you provide a list of plants that I can landscape with in Nashville, Tennessee?
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Nashville, TN
Saving non-native sempervivum from accidental weed killer application from Nashville TN
How to save a 'Live Forever' plant that had weed killer put on it by mistake.
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