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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!

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Questions From Near You

New Waverly, TX
Propagation of mountain laurel seeds
My Texas Mountain Laurel this year finally produced seed pods. How do I go about planting the seeds for a new tree? A few of my co-workers love my tree and I would like to give them either the seeds ...
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New Waverly, TX
Fast growing shade tree for East Texas Piney Woods
What is the fastest growing shade tree for E.Tx.Piney Woods? We have an area that desperately needs protection from the summer heat. The site is comprised of gumbo clay and there are no other plants t...
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Trinity, TX
Looking for native plant nurseries
I am in 75862 zip code which is a long way from everywhere. I am trying to find native plant nurseries within 100 miles. Many sites just talk about native plants, and have photos, but very little info...
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Trinity, TX
Deer resistant plants for Trinity, TX
I need a list of deer resistant flowers, herbs and plants that would could be planted in Trinity, Texas.
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Willis, TX
Groundcover for area under oaks in Lake Conroe, Texas
I live just off Lake Conroe, and my backyard is more dirt than grass. It is under a number of oak trees, and the dirt is more of a silt than a sand. I need suggestions for a quick growing ground cover...
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Willis, TX
Need help with century plant in Willis, TX
Ok so I have two gorgeously monstrous century plants in my yard..I love em BUT I don't know if the have ever bloomed but since I am removing pups as fast as I can during the rainy season I'm assumin...
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Shiro, TX
Need help with a Coreopsis eating beetle in Shiro, TX
Mr.Smarty Plants,(Sorry, I kept messing up with my emails) Anyway, here goes: I usually have a beautiful meadow full of lanceleaf coreopsis blooming by now. Not this year. I found to my horror every s...
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Shiro, TX
Planting wildflower seeds in a drought in Grimes Co. TX
I have a dilemma, shared by others I'm sure. My place, which is in Oakland prairie, has seen no real rainfall since sometime in August, and the soil (sand, loam, and blackland clays)is extremely dry....
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Shiro, TX
Groundcover Planting in Shiro TX
I have been collecting seeds from White Avens and Texas Sedge to use as ground covers. What is the optimal time to plant these seeds? We have been experiencing heavy rains in our area lately, so I am ...
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Shiro, TX
How to determine the gender of wax myrtles from the WFC?
Mr.Smarty Plants, have the wax myrtles that are up for sale at the Center's Spring Plant sale been sexed? I need a male plant. How can the sex be determined when the plant is young? Or can it?
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Shiro, TX
Native turkscap failing to thrive in Shiro TX
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Two years ago I transplanted several native (not cultivars) Drummond's turkscaps in the proximity of water oaks in the front yard. All get shade and some sun. They seemed to ...
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Shiro, TX
Food for wild rabbits in Shiro TX
There are usually 1-2 cottontail rabbits sharing our 4 acre habitat that are suffering due to the lack of new growth caused by drought. Is there anything I can plant after this summer that would provi...
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Shiro, TX

Hi, thanks for all your help in the past! I have a generous spot in my spacious back yard that is begging to be filled. The top soil is 4" sandy loam, below which is black clay.With frog strangler r...
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Shiro, TX
Decreasing the Height of Smooth Sumac
I have a 9-10 ft. Smooth Sumac that I purchased from an LJWC plant sale several years ago. It has a main trunk and one branch about halfway up. I have read that these sumacs can be pruned down to almo...
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Richards, TX
When should a redbud start blooming?
Does it take a couple or more years for a redbud tree to bloom? I had some in Houston when I lived there and it seems like it took a long time for them to bloom. I now live in Richards (Near Huntsvill...
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Bedias, TX
Need a tree to replace a large oak tree that may be dying in Bedias TX.
I live in Bedias, TX in Grimes County. One of the largest oak trees on my property looks like it's dying. It's simply not leafing out well. I literally can't afford for this to happen since I depen...
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Montgomery, TX
Identity of poisonous thorn bush in Montgomery Texas
What is the name of a poisonous thorn bush in Montgomery Texas?
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Montgomery, TX
Ground cover to control erosion in Montgomery County, Texas
I am looking for some kind of ground cover to control erosion on a north facing slope in Montgomery County, Texas. The area gets very little direct sunlight. I need something that will establish quick...
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Montgomery, TX
Are oleanders poisonous?
Are Oleanders poisonous?
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Montgomery, TX
Flowering landscape plants for Montgomery TX
Hello I live in Montgomery TX. I am looking for low growing evergreen flowering plants for the front of my three deep beds. The first plant closest to the foundation is loropetalum, then I have a blue...
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Montgomery, TX
How close to plant Prunus carolinia for a privacy buffer in Montgomery, TX.
I recently purchased some Prunus caroliniana trees for a privacy buffer between my neighbor and me. I have not yet planted them. They are in 25 gallon buckets and are about 10 feet tall now. How mu...
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