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
Grenada, MS
Why is my Weeping Fig crying leaves?
I have a weeping fig that I bought Memorial day in Birmingham, Al. It has 8 or 9 trunks growing altogether. It sits on a porch with eastern exposure, only about 2 hours of sun. It has been losing l...
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Tupelo, MS
Grasses for moist, steep hillside in Tupelo MS
I have a very steep bank that I have pampas grass planted in spots. It must be a natural spring in the bank because it stays very wet and runs into the street below. Can you suggest something to pla...
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Tupelo, MS
Will desert willow (Chlopsis linearis) grow in N. E. Mississippi
I am located in N.E. Mississippi. A friend of mine sent me a few desert willow seeds. I have about 5 plants growing now that are about 6 inches tall. I was wanting to know first of all, is it possi...
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Collierville, TN
Planting horsetail indoors from Collierville TN
I would like to plant horsetail indoors. Can it handle the inside? Will it try to go dormant or it that a temperature trigger which means it will not go dormant?
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Moscow, TN
Problems with morning glory in Tennessee.
I recently moved to Tennessee from Michigan. On my property I have a perennial morning glory. This year the leaves are all bubbly, the stems have white hard stuff on them and there is a brown hard t...
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Grand Junction, TN
Control of non-native invasive ground ivy in Grand Junction TN
Dear Mr. Smarty Pants,
I live in the Southwest portion of TN about 50 miles east of Memphis. We have an invasive plant, called Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea L in our yard and pasture now which is ta...
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Germantown, TN
Native wildflowers for Tennessee
Can you suggest some native wildflowers for west Tennessee and a source for seeds?
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Oakland, TN
Bees on non-native holly from Oakland TN
I have bees all over my Nellie Stevens holly. Can I spray anything to alleviate this issue?
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Memphis, TN
Bermuda, not the only option in Memphis
I'm building an energy efficient home in Memphis and want to extend that strategy to the landscaping. I'd like to plant native grasses, but this lot is surrounded by lots sodded with Bermuda grass....
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Memphis, TN
Redoing garden in Memphis TN
Please help. I don't know much about landscaping and plants and I am re-doing my flower bed. I recently had everything pulled out and I want to start fresh. The area that I will be working with is ap...
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Memphis, TN
Flowering vine in Tennessee
I'm in Memphis, TN & have a flowering vine growing wild behind my A/C unit. Not the sort of vine that twines. Small blue flowers bloom out of pods; flowers only have two petals. Blooms last only one...
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Memphis, TN
Low-growing plants for steep bank to prevent erosion
We recently bought a house (6 months ago) in Memphis, TN that backs up to a concrete drainage ditch. There is a fairly steep, mostly shaded bank that leads from the flat section of the back yard to th...
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Memphis, TN
An evergreen, deer-resistant shrub for Memphis
I need an evergreen, deep to partial shade, deer resistant shrub or tree. Does such a plant exist?
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Memphis, TN
Tree to replace Betula nigra (River birch) in Memphis
HI Mr. Smarty Pants,
I think I need to replace the river birch tree in my west-facing front yard in Memphis, TN. I have sun all day, but it gets really hot in the afternoon. The soil in my yar...
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memphis, TN
Need a source of mature horsetail plants in Memphis, TN.
Where can I find mature horsetail plants in Memphis,Tn.? Need enough to fill a 6 foot long by one foot wide planter
Need for it to look like it's been there forever.
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Memphis, TN
Non-native, invasive bermudagrass from Memphis TN
I live in central Memphis and have well-drained clay soil. I have converted much of the front yard from turf grass to beds of native plants, which survive our hot humid without supplemental watering e...
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Amory , MS
Failure to thrive of closet plant
I have a closet plant that is old and was doing fine and then started having droopy leaves. It needed to be in a larger pot so I transplanted into a larger pot with new potting soil. It continues to...
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Arlington, TN
Cypress poisonous to livestock from Arlington, TN
Are green giant cypress poisonous to livestock?
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Starkville, MS
Native plants for cutting garden in Starkville MS
I would like to know the native plants to put in a cutting garden.
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Starkville, MS
Non-native Moth Mullein as a garden plant from Starksville MS
I collected seeds from a beautiful Moth Mullein growing in a lot which will soon be bulldozed. Would I regret sowing them in the back of a sunny perennial bed this fall. These are from the white-pin...
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Starkville, MS
How Do Persimmons Breed - Starkville, MS
Thank you for your earlier response about the genders of native persimmon trees. We have two, a much larger one that has borne fruit for years and years and a smaller one that I'd just assumed was m...
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