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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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Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

Questions From Near You

Clarksville, TN
Plant Identification from Clarksville TN
We live on a north facing wooded ridge line in Middle TN. I have a single large (6') bush that is blooming now (late April) with beautiful 6" long, end of stem clusters of small pink flowers in 3-5...
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Woodlawn, TN
Erosion control for steep creek bank in Tennessee
I have creek bank erosion problems in Woodlawn, Tennessee, northwest of Nashville. What plants can I place there. The bank is approximately 12ft almost vertical.
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Dover, TN
Mystery dill-type weed
My daughter has a weed growing in her flower bed that look very simular to dill weed, but thicker. If you pinch it, it has a sticky milky substance come out. Can you tell me what this plant may be? ...
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Greenbrier, TN
Recommendations for plants under sugar maple (Acer saccharum) tree
We have an area under sugar maple trees and near white pines. We cannot get any grass to grow. There is little moisture and no sun in the summer. We live 25 miles north of Nashville, TN. Can you r...
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kingston springs, TN
Mystery Iris-like plant in Tennessee
What is this flower? It came up and bloomed for about five days then died. It was a beautiful white trumpet shaped flower. It had one stem with four flowers. It came up like an Iris but we nver plante...
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cadiz, KY
Shrubs to grow in a narrow area no taller than 3 ft. in Cadiz, KY.
I need to plant shrubs in a narrow area between my house and sidewalk. I have a low porch so I want the shrub to grow no taller than 3 ft. What do you recommend? It is in full sun.
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White House, TN
Recipe for cherry jelly from wild black cherry tree in Tennessee
I think that we have a wild black cherry tree on our farm. I understand that the fruit is edible. Do you have a recipe for jelly or any other food product using this fruit?
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Bon Aqua , TN
Need Plant Identification from Bon Aqua, Tennessee?
By a creek, I found a plant that I have never seen in my life. It has a tall stalk and has leaves like a weed or grass, and the flower looks like a pine tree. The plant looks like a mix of a grass, a...
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Madison, TN
Need help identifying shrub with large thorns in Tennessee.
A shrub?with very large thorns. Main stock of plant woody with a gray and white splotchy bark at base. Branches are green and shiney and have very large heavy thorns spaced several inches apart on...
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Nashville, TN
What happens when plant shoot apex is removed from Nashville TN
What happens to the plant when a shoot apex is removed?
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Nashville, TN
Identification of vine with translucent red berries in Tennessee.
During the month of November I have seem in Nashville, TN a vine which appears to be native or a handed-down plant growing behind a restaurant site on a chain link fence. It was loaded with cluster...
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Nashville, TN
Distance from existing oak trees to place paving
We are designing an expansion for an existing veterinary office and the desired side for expansion will require addition to the parking and drive aisle to the back side of the property. My question i...
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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
Identification of thorny tree with lemon-like fruit
What would be a small lemon like fruit that grows on a bush with large thorns? The fruit is about the size of a golf ball, kind of fuzzy yellow skin like a lemon and smells like a cross between an or...
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Nashville, TN
Groundcovers for Shade Under a Sweetgum
I have 3 large sweetgum trees that produce so much shade each summer, and grass, even grass meant for shade, won't grow here. It's become a barren desert! I have English ivy but it only seems to gro...
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Nashville, TN
Native plants for bioswale in Tennessee
What native plants do you recommend for a bioswale in Tennessee?
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Nashville, TN
Difference beteen two non-native photinias from Nashville TN
What is the difference between red tip phontinias and fireball phontinias. I read that fireballs are also called red tips but I thought that red tips grow to like 12 ft. and the tag on the fireball I...
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Nashville, TN
Arisaema triphyllum as an insect eater
Is the Jack in the Pulpit an insect eater?
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Nashville, TN
Eradiacation of johnsongrass along roadways
What does latest research show on eradication of Johnsongrass along roadways?
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Nashville, TN
Need plants to control erosion on a hillside in Nashville, TN.
Recently, a rogue contractor scraped all the sod off of my Tennessee hillside. Now the clay soil is exposed and washing away quickly. The hill slope is approximately 30 degrees. In the spring I'd ...
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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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