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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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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

Gulfport, MS
Ivy a suitable ground cover in Live Oaks from Gulfport MS
Will Ivy be a safe and suitable ground cover for old growth Live Oak trees in coastal Mississippi?
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Gulfport, MS
Can non-native guavas be successfully moved from Gulfport MS?
Can guavas be moved successfully from one established planted location to another? My mother is having to relocate due to MDOT and we would like to move her established guavas. Thank you,
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gulfport, MS
Pruning Spruce Pine (Prunus glabra)
I have a Pinus glabra/spruce pine that is approx. 7' tall. It's limbs are few and some have been broken. Will trimming back the longer limbs to give it a Christmas shape harm this tree?
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Gulfport, MS
Non-native invasive Chocolate Mimosa in Gulfport MS
Another Mimosa Question: I have a newly planted chocolate mimosa; it has a single, 7 ft spindly trunk with approximately a 3 ft canopy. I'm afraid that its girth will not withstand much in terms of...
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Biloxi, MS
Federal database on use of wildflowers
Recently read about wedding planned to reduce typical costs AND "go green." One action the bridal party took was to decorate with wildflowers. I was appalled. So, my question, because apparently..my...
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Ocean Springs, MS
Pruning of non-native Senna bicapsularis from Ocean Springs MS
I have 4 Senna plants (cassia bicapsularis) that I planted late last spring. They about 3-4 feet tall but are very gangly with leaves at or near the tips only. How should I prune them to encourage g...
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Vancleave, MS
Plant identification, Chinese Lantern
I have a plant growing along my fenceline that I am unsure of what it is. Some ppl have said it is a rare Chinese Lantern plant. I looked that up and it doesn't match. The plant right now sits about ...
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Pascagoula, MS
Crown rot in Agave americana
My Century Plant's leaves get soft toward the base and eventually fall over and I have to cut them off. What causes this?
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Moss Point, MS
Living blooming plants for November wedding in Austin
I am an environmental educator whose daughter is getting married in Austin in November. I would like to use living blooming native plants as decorations and then donate them to a local school to plan...
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Picayune, MS
Identification of plant with light orange fruit
Trying to identify a small, light orange, oval shaped fruit,light yellow/beige inside, many seeds, vine w/briars, behind an outbuilding in McNeill, MS. tks
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Brooklyn, MS
Restoring a slope in the Mississippi sandhill region
We are building on 5 acres (leaving 60% as is, natural). Only building a small (900-1200 sq ft house) & clearing 1 acre of the valley for a pond. There is a steep slope (where we had to put field dra...
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Orleans, LA
Vine with 5 pointed deep lobed leaves and small white flowers
I recently happened upon a very peculiar vine. It has 5 pointed very deep lobed leaves, that are semi hairy on both the top and bottom with small white flowers that emerge from the same part of the st...
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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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Semmes, AL
Problems with crossvine from Semmes AL
I have a 3 year old cross vine (tangerine beauty) and the leaves have started turning black and falling off the plant. I have two plants growing on the same pergola (opposite ends) and the second plan...
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Semmes, AL
Wildflower meadow in Mobile, AL
I live in Mobile, Alabama. I have 1 acre of land that is partially shaded and covered with centipede yard grass. I would like to completely get rid of all the grass and replace the whole acre with wil...
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Mandeville, LA
Black Walnut tree in LA
I was just given a black walnut tree and am trying to determine where to place it. I’ve read on your site that “Certain plants will not grow under Black Walnut trees because of the juglones that the ...
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Covington, LA
Native grasses for wildlife in Katrina recovery area of Louisiana
I live in La in an area decimated by Katrina and want to establish 11 acres of wildlife friendly native short grasses. It is partly designated wetlands because it floods, but also has long periods wi...
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Covington, LA
Possibility of saving hurricane-damaged Umbrella Magnolia
Our beautiful umbrella magnolia Magnoliaceae Magnolia tripetala was toppled during Hurricane Katrina. We have lifted it back in place, however it looks very distressed. I have the following questions:...
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Covington, LA
Barrier Shrubs for North Carolina
Need a spiny barrier shrub that will grow in North Carolina shady rain forest (4,000 feet elevation) to deter trespassers wading down a creek from climbing on a private nature path that we constructed...
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New Orleans, LA
Grafting Shumard Oak to Decrease Acorn Bearing Age in New Orleans
Can a Shumard Oak that is bearing acorns (30 yrs. old)be grafted to a seedling in order to decrease the bearing of the tree in a similar manner as grafting pecan trees? Can it be propagated by any me...
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New Orleans, LA
Saving a 350-year old Live Oak
I live in Jefferson Parish outside New Orleans. I have a large Live Oak tree that is over 350 years old and has been damaged by Katrina. I have contacted one arborist and they said that the tree is st...
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