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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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Rosharon, TX
Legality of using Chinese tallow seeds for Christmas decorations
If tallow trees are on the noxious list, is it illegal to use the white berries for Christmas decorations?
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Rosharon, TX
Identification of possible Bald cypress
I live in the Houston area, last year we traveled to South Padre Island and,on the way, I noticed a tree that was just beautiful. It looked like a cross between a Norfolk pine and some kind of cycads....
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Rosharon, TX
Hymenocallis caroliniana and Hymenocallis liriosme Differences
A couple of years ago a neighbor gave me three huge bulbs of a type unknown to her. They fit the description of a spider lily. In attempts to identify it I found Hymenocallis liriosme and Hymenocallis...
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Fresno, TX
Need information about planting Red Maples in Houston, TX.
I want to plant some Drummond Red Maples in my front yard. What cultivars would you recommend, and what is the absolute smallest amount of space possible between two of these trees?
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Angleton, TX
Brown patches on St. Augustine grass
I have brown patches on my st. augustine grass, it looks like the grass has rotted from standing water, but the drainage is not a problem, What could it be?
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Angleton, TX
When and how to transplant a Texas persimmon
When and how should I transplant a 12' Texas persimmon? How much root ball do I need to get?
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Angleton, TX
Identity of blue sage-like plant blooming in September in Lubbock TX
This has bothered me for years. It looks like a miniature version of Salvia azure. About a foot talk with multiple stems. Flowering in September. Grows on the hillsides overlooking Buddy Holly Lak...
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Angleton, TX
Weed killer and bluebonnets in Angleton, TX
Is there a way to weed my yard with weed killer and not harm my bluebonnets?
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Alvin, TX
ID for pines along Interstate 45
Along the interstate (45) once you get up past Conroe and closer to Dallas, there are some type of pne tree that grows in the medians and on the sides. I love these trees but haven't been able to id...
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Alvin, TX
Sources for Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera)
I live in Alvin, Texas. I am looking for a small shade tree, that is easy to care for. I only have a small area for the tree. Alvin, Texas is about 30 miles from Galveston. I saw a wax myrtle tre...
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Damon, TX
When to plant bluebonnet seeds in Houston
I live south of Houston and have purchased 1lb. of bluebonnet seeds. The seed company told me I could put them out in June-when mother nature does it, however I have read several answers that say to s...
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West Columbia, TX
Native Plants for Year Round Interest
I'm involved in a paradigm shift from traditional bedding plants (petunias, zinnias, begonias, etc.) to native plants. I realize that native plants have natural life cycles where they look pretty bad...
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West Columbia, TX
Forecast for the 2103 bluebonnet season from West Columbia TX
What is your current forecast for the 2013 TX bluebonnet season? What would be the best time for people coming from out of state to come to TX to see them? What areas are likely to have the best dis...
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West Columbia, TX
Searching for Acalypha amentacea ssp. wilkesiana (copperleaf)
Some species of Acalypha are natives, but the one I'm looking for is Copper Plant or Acalypha amentacea/wilkesiana. Can you give me a source where I can order seed? When I was kid working at a local ...
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Pearland, TX
Problem with magnolias and yaupon in Prosper TX
Problem with Little Gem magnolia - 3 little gems planted next to a fence, in Prosper, TX. Planted 3 years ago, 2009, one of the trees is now withering. The other 2 are doing fine, the one has leaves...
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Pearland, TX
Replacement for trees destroyed by Hurricane Ike
We had a 23 year old elm tree in our front yard that was uprooted from Hurricane Ike (about 50 feet tall)..can you tell us what the replacement costs for that would be? Also we had a 20 foot live oak ...
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Pearland, TX
Evergreen Shrubs for the Houston area
Hello Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in the Houston area and I am looking for an evergreen native shrub (no more than 7 feet tall at maturity) for two locations - one would be in full sun and the other ...
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Pearland, TX
Problems with non-native cuphea in Pearland TX
I have about 8 Bat Face Cupheas and I am having trouble with them. First, instead of mounding 360 degrees, the branches all grow forward (they do bloom well). They're in full sun, about 3 feet out fr...
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Pearland, TX
Care for Blackfoot daisy?
Hi, I have two blackfoot daisies and one has died. I've planted them in full sun on a well drained slope. Do these ususally die after blooming? Should I cut the other one back? Thanks.
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Pearland, TX
Problems with Silverado Sage in Pearland, TX.
Hi, We have three Silverado Sage bushes we planted last year. They did great during the drought. However, this winter they had a severed leaf drop of mostly just the centers of them. These cente...
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Pearland, TX
Tree for sound block near Houston
I live in Pearland, just south of Houston and am looking for a tree that I can plant along my fenceline between my neighbor and me that will block noise. We have a pool and entertain a lot, but they a...
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