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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

Thayer, MO
Perennials non-toxic to horses in Thayer MO
I live in South Central Missouri. I am looking for a plant/shrub to plant in pots (our soil is clay and very rocky)to landscape the front of our barn. This plant can't be harmful to horses and must b...
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Pomona, MO
Plant identification
I found a flower about 5 inches tall and it is Pinkish White the head of it hangs down and looks like a rose that hasn't bloomed yet. It reminds me of an Orchid like Fairy . Its Mystic like! what is ...
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Melbourne, AR
Bee-pasture recommendations for AR
Hello, I live in Melbourne, Ar, up in the NE corner of the state. I keep bees and would like to put in a couple acres of something for them. I'm leaning towards Viper's Bugloss. Do you know where I ...
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Willow Springs, MO
Best time for wildflower planting in the Ozarks
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in the Ozarks, and have an open bottomland valley area I want to transform into more natives for many reasons. I am starting a 2 acre field of NATIVE grasses (warm sea...
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Clarkridge, AR
Will corn fall victim to allelopathy from hackberry in Clarkridge AR
Will my corn be inhibited by a nearby hackberry and if so would it help to cut it down? I understand that sometimes the soil is full of the chemicals the tree produces.
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Newark, AR
Increase in plant cell size when nuclei take on water
Do plant cells increase in size when vacuoles or nuclei take on water?
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Redford, MO
Osage orange thorn in foot in Redford MO
I ran an osage orange thorn through my foot,it is very sore and very red around it. Is that something I might need to see a dr about, or it is just going to be sore for a couple days. It only happened...
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Paragould, AR
Tree roots in sewer from Paragould AR
I have beautiful pecan trees, an apple in the back yard, a pine on the west side of the house and pecan trees in the front yard. Two trees are interrupting my sewer systems (at least one in the back y...
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Yellville, AR
Non-poisonous, fragrant flowering plant and vine for Arkansas
I would like to find a non poisonous flowering plant that smells good, that has small to moderate plant growth, that will do well in sandy soil area, shade to full sun either way. Also would like to f...
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Licking, MO
Wildflowers for September wedding from Licking MO
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I am getting married this September in Licking Missouri back in the woods on my dads land. I would like to have wildflowers for the bouquets and reception decor. Can I get some...
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Heber Springs, AR
Tree roots vs. leach field in Heber Springs AR
We need shade in front of our west facing house; however, our septic system and leach field are there also. What kind of fast growing trees can we plant that won't ruin our septic system?
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Falcon, MO
Are Tannins in Persimmons the same in Fruit and Leaf?
I was wanting to know if tannins in persimmons have the same properties in both the fruit and leaves.
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Searcy, AR
Bluebonnet trip planning from Searcy AR
We are planning a Spring Bluebonnet trip to east, central and south Texas. Is there an average timetable for Blubonnet blooming in the areas of San Antonio, Hill Country, Austin and east, and Northea...
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Harrison, AR
Infrequently blooming yucca in Harrison AR
My Yuccas have only bloomed once in 8 years. Looking at the Internet I think mine is Elephantis variety - I did buy them at a nursery; they are in full sun.
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Birdeye, AR
Cold stratification of Rudbeckcia maxima from Birdeye AR
How long do I cold stratify Rudbeckia maxima seeds that I wild harvested? Can I put them in the freezer instead of fridge? Do I need to make sure they are completely dry before cold strat?
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Branson, MO
Plants for water park
Hi, I usually have no problem locating the right species for a given situation, but I may need some advice for this. I am looking for plants -- from annual & perennial flowers to shrubs and small t...
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Waynesville, MO
Wildflowers for a pond in MO
I have a spring fed pond in Missouri and would like to plant perennial wildflowers in the area around it. Are there any that would do better or others that are not recommended? Thank you.
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Waynvesville, MO
Shade tolerant plants for Waynesville MO
We moved to Waynesville, MO (gardening region 6) and when we bought our house there was a nice looking gardening area in front of the house. It is shaded moderately by a Redwood Tree and was "occupie...
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Richland, MO
Will maroon and Texas Bluebonnets prosper in Richland MO?
I live in Richland, MO and have obtained both Maroon and Texas Bluebonnet seeds from Fredricksburg, TX. Will they prosper in this area and when is the best time to plant? I have read how and what type...
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Vilonia, AR
Illegal to pick roadside wildflowers from Vilonia AR
Is it illegal to pick roadside wildflowers in Arkansas?
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Cuba, MO
Removing poison ivy in Cuba MO
I bought a home with a huge bed of hybrid iris but the bed is thick with poison ivy. If I cover myself head to toe to prevent getting it is there a way to clean the tubers so they will not be poison? ...
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