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
Summerdale, AL
Bulb identification
My pinecone ginger (Zingiber zerumbet), my white ginger (Hedychium coronarium) and my cana lilly roots were all accidently put in the same box and now I can't tell which is which. Is there some sort ...
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Elberta, AL
Question about male muscadine plants
I have 9 muscadine plants, 3 females and 6 perfect flowered growing in my yard. A plant started growing under my porch lst year and it grew through the spaces between the boards. It grew nicely. It fl...
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Fairhope, AL
Plants for 60 degree slope in Mobile, AL
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,I live on an eroding 60 foot bluff in USDA Zone 8A, along Mobile Bay (AL). To address erosion problems we are using a gabion-style product called "Green Terramesh," which is ...
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Fairhope, AL
Decorative Trees for Scenic Bench in Fairhope IL
I am looking for a recommendation for a pair of small trees (does not grow taller than 18-20 feet) that can provide shade on either side of a stone bench. The site is in full sun, western exposure an...
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Mobile, AL
Oils/paraffins in sea oats
Do Sea Oats produce oils/paraffins?
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Mobile, AL
Shade tolerant vines for Mobile AL
I am looking for an evergreen vine that will thrive in the shade in hot and humid south Alabama. I plan to plant on a trellis. A flowering vine would be even better.
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Mobile, AL
Plants for banks of a retention pond in Alabama
What can we plant on the inner and out walls of a detention pond to stop erosion? The pond is located in a neighborhood in Mobile, AL and the walls are 9 ft high with a steep slope.
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Mobile, AL
Root cuttings for non-native, poisonous oleander from Mobile AL
I need help with best method to root cuttings from my oleander tree. Please advise best method. Thanks
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Molino, FL
Looking for yellow bottlebrush (Callistemon sp.) and native substitutes
I have been looking for years for a yellow bottle bush. It is identical to the red but is yellow. there are several varieties, but the one i want is just like the red one in appearance. I live in Flor...
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molino, FL
Identity of a thorny vine in Florida
Area: panhandle of FL Problem: thorny vine with large potato like roots, rapid growing and very invasive. grows in summer time.
thanks
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Molino , FL
Identity of tree with pumpkin-like fruit in Florida
Hello. I live in a small town called Molino FL. I was walking on the side of our road and found a tree with pumpkin type fruit on the limbs. I have been trying to figure this tree out for about 3 mont...
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Theodore, AL
Identification of tall plant with five-petaled purple flowers
I recently moved into a house and have a plant near my fence that has purple flowers with five petals and a somewhat thick stem, about a half inch. The leaves are sparse and it grows about four to si...
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Pensacola, FL
Identification of insects on crepe myrtle in Florida
I have large colonies of striped bugs on large crepe myrtle in my backyard. They stay in large groups and have long antennae. There are larger black bugs among the groups that appear to corral and g...
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Pensacola, FL
Juniperus virginiana and some pines for Florida
I live in Pensacola, FL (Northwest Florida, practically lower-coastal Alabama) and I am looking for a medium size tree that will cast shade on my home. The house faces due west and it gets extremely h...
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Pensacola, FL
Care of a sedum indoors
I have a coworker who has trusted her Sedum Burrito plant into my care because it is not doing well in her office. It appears to need repotting, as it is very crowded in the pot it came in and is dif...
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Pensacola, FL
Poolside Groundcover Suggestions for Florida
I live in Milton, FL near Pensacola. We just had a pool installed and now want to put groundcover around the perimeter. It will be an area about 70 feet long and 10 feet deep. It will be full sun. We ...
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Pensacola, FL
Authenticity of a vendor from Pensacola FL
Can you verify the authenticity of Alex Jones as someone who can help us?
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Pensacola, FL
Mystery small tree with many large thorns
In a small spot on over 2 acres, we have this strange tree/shrub. It is a single, straight stem with no branches, and has profuse, large thorns from top to bottom. At the top of the stem, the leaves...
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Pensacola, FL
Removal of invasive non-native Chinese wisteria
I am going to be removing my ubiquitous chinese wisteria very soon (the method I'm going to use is undetermined). If I decide to use Round-up on the cut-stem (which may take more than one application...
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Pensacola, FL
ID of plant that looks like a pine cone?
I have a plant that i was told it was a Pine Cone plant. When it blooms it looks just like a pine cone. but i can't fine anything on it.
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Pensacola, FL
What thorny vine grows rapidly in Pensacola?
What thorny vine grows rapidly in Pensacola?
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