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
Sherman, TX
Native landscaping plants for Sherman, Texas
We are starting from scratch on landscaping our new yard. We live in Sherman, TX and I would like to use plants and flowers that are native to Texas and have a good chance of surviving. What are you...
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Sherman, TX
Does Chilopsis linearis, var.Bubba produce seed pods? No.
We have a really beautiful 2-year old Bubba, Desert Willow. It is already about 12 feet tall. I really have two questions. One does the Bubba form the seed pods like the other types of Desert Willows?...
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Sherman, TX
New agave plants, offshoots of parent plant, transplanting
I have different varieties of Agaves that are sending off new plants from the mother. Some have 1-2 and some have 6-7 plants. Is there a proper method for removing (cutting them a certain way) for t...
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Van Alstyne, TX
Advice about lavender (Lavandula sp.)
I recently visited a Lavender Farm just outside Gainseville Texas. I was hooked. However, when I started reading about growing Lavender I found that you should have well drained alkaline soil. Since...
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Van Alstyne, TX
Wildflower meadow for birds
I put in a wildflower feed plot for the song birds 3 years ago. We prepared the bed by first using Round Up to kill all the grass then lightly tilled to scratch the surface and planted the wildflower ...
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Van Alstyne, TX
Avoiding planting Indian Paintbrush in Hawaii because of invasiveness
My daughter is living in Hilo, Hawaii. For her birthday, her boyfriend ordered her some Indian Paintbrush seeds. Trying to be sure she grows them correctly in a pot, she found instructions that say ...
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Van Alstyne, TX
Low Water Use Plants for a Pond Island
We have a medium sized pond/tank with a small island covered in black willows. The pond loses a lot of water and we were told it was partially due to the willows. We want to remove them and replace ...
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Van Alstyne, TX
Drought-tolerant plants for landscaping
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Our HOA is wanting to change the landscaping to Drought-tolerant plants and flowers. The area is Grayson County, south of Sherman Texas. What plants and flowers would you su...
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Ivanhoe, TX
Permit to transport trees in Ivanhoe TX
Do you have to have a special permit to transport trees on a semi truck and trailer in Texas? They are Texas grown trees, just going to a different location inside the state.
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Bonham, TX
Need plants to replace Red Tipped Photinias in Bonham, TX
I have 7 red tipped photinias that had all their leaves eaten last summer by an infestation of grasshoppers. I do mean all. They are or were about 10 years old. Can you tell me if they will grow back ...
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Tioga, TX
What are the cone shaped evergreens around Pilot Point, TX?
What are the cone shaped evergreens around Pilot Point, Texas called? They are dark green with spiky leaves and rough bark. I have a row planted as a windscreen and want to transplant a couple from a ...
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Tioga, TX
Survival of bluebonnets in extreme heat from Tioga TX
Is there anything I can do for my bluebonnet patch in this extreme drought for the rest of the summer and fall? Should I have watered this summer? I had a good show and think seeding was fairly normal...
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Lake Kiowa, TX
Tree well for partially exposed roots from Lake Kiowa TX
Medium oak tree along lake has partially exposed roots. Can we make a barrier (what kind?) and fill the roots behind it with topsoil, compost, etc.? Tree and roots are above the waterline. Lake occ...
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Pilot Point, TX
Evergreen perennials for a pond bank in Texas
We want evergreen perennial plants for the banks of our small pond. The banks are eroding and we need to help keep them strong. We have ducks in the pond and lots of turtles. We would love something ...
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Pilot Point, TX
Smarty Plants on chile pequin
I cannot find plants or seeds for the chile pequin (birds eye chile) plant. Do you have any or know of any business or person from whom I may purchase them?
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Pilot Point, TX
Grasses for shady areas
I would like to know which grasses would grow in mostly shady part of the house.
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Gainesville, TX
Problems with Shumard Oaks and Crepe Myrtle in Cooke Co. TX
I have a Shumard Oak Tree that has been in the ground approx. ten years. It has done great, even passing up some of my older Shumards. In August it began to lose its leaves at an alarming rate. They a...
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Prosper, TX
Application of sprays to non-native Crape Myrtle from Prosper TX
Can applying a systemic insecticide/fungicide combo prevent or limit Crape Myrtle blooms? I have 5 large lavender Crapes that are not blooming or budding yet and this is the first time I have used a ...
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McKinney, TX
Identification of small tree in McKinney TX with puffy red/pink bloom
Looking for info on McKinney area sm/med size tree found at water's edge that has a puffy rd pink bloom. Thanks.
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McKinney, TX
Non-fruiting squash
With all this rain in Dallas why would our Zuchinni and Yellow squash be beautiful and green but not produce any squash?
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McKinney, TX
Trouble with live oak in McKinney, TX
We moved into a suburban home with a live oak tree with a trunk diameter of about 50". I noticed recently how yellow the leaves look compared to the other live oak in the yard. There is not a pattern...
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