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.
Support NPINHelp grow the Native Plant Information Network by giving to the Plant Database Fund or subcribing to Wildflower magazine.
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
Ledbetter, TX
Spreading bluebonnets in pasture from Ledbetter TX
I've found a small patch of bluebonnets in my back pasture in Ledbetter, tx. What is the best method of encouraging their spread across the pasture? I've heard that one can pull up the plants and ...
view the full question and answer
Ledbetter, TX
Preventing Oak Galls
How do you prevent live oak galls? Do you have a solution? Many of our live oaks are infested with them.
view the full question and answer
Carmine, TX
Care for heritage roses
Dear Mr. SmartyPlants, I took some cuttings from an antique rose my grandmother had.I had good luck , had some of them grow for me. Some of them have blooms and others are long and lanky stems but n...
view the full question and answer
Round Top, TX
Source for purchase of Texas ash tree in Round Rock, TX
Where can I purchase a Texas Ash (Fraxinus texenis)?
view the full question and answer
Giddings, TX
Keeping cows from eating the garden
I have a flowerbed area outside of our new split-rail fence
available for planting, but cattle roam outside the
fence also! Do you have any suggestions for plants that
cows tend not to eat (unle...
view the full question and answer
Giddings, TX
Trees with white blossoms in Crockett, Texas
What are the trees that are blooming just East of Crockett Texas (off of Hwy 21) right now - fairly large trees - multitude of white blooms - almost like a wild plum or pear, but tree seems too large?...
view the full question and answer
Burton, TX
Killing a century plant from Burton TX
How do you kill the century plant, they are taking over?
view the full question and answer
Burton, TX
Vine with wine-colored flowers in Washington County, TX
I'm trying to identify a deep purple wine colored flowering vine in Washington County, Texas. It looks very similar to Texas wisteria, but it is something else. I've seen them growing in vineyards...
view the full question and answer
Burton, TX
Can you produce hay and bluebonnets on the same field?
Hi - We have a field that produces wild bluebonnets every spring. Is it possible to grow and bail hay in this field and not kill off our bluebonnets? Thank you.
view the full question and answer
Lincoln, TX
Brown spots on young redbuds in Lincoln TX
I have lined my driveway in Lee County Texas with Red bud trees purchased both in Dripping Springs and in College Station. The 14 trees are of varying ages and heights (planted during the fall and wi...
view the full question and answer
LaGrange, TX
Need help fighting grass burs in La Grange, TX.
I have 4 acres of wildflowers planted in my front yard. Unfortunately, grassburs have crept in & I need to control them with a pre-emergent. Will this keep the wildflowers from blooming? Also, would l...
view the full question and answer
La Grange, TX
Plants for a sunny, sandy site in Central Texas
I live between La Grange and Schulenburg, Texas. My soil is sandy. Full sun, no trees. I am a senior citizen with limited funds who is allergic to Rye and Bermuda grass. I tried planting a lawn of...
view the full question and answer
Plum, TX
Black Sooty Mold on Bay Tree
I have a large bay tree and all the leaves are covered with a black mold-like substance on the top part of the leaf. Under each leaf are some black/brown spots. I have washed the leaves with soap and ...
view the full question and answer
Paige, TX
Grasses for shady acreage in Paige, TX
My family recently bought property in Paige, TX. We thinned out the dense vegetation leaving pines and some oak and juniper. The ground is now bare sand throughout much of the property, except for th...
view the full question and answer
Paige, TX
Interested in planting wildflowers in the area of Paige, TX.
Interested in planting wildflowers in the area of Paige, TX.
view the full question and answer
Paige, TX
Seeds for native Sandyland Bluebonnet
I live in Bastrop County Texas and would like to plant our native Sandyland Bluebonnet, Lupinus subcarnosus. I have checked most of the native plant supply firms, but can't find this species (except...
view the full question and answer
Paige/Bastrop, TX
Ground cover for burned acreage in Bastrop, Texas
The fire took 2/3 of the trees on my half acre in Bastrop County. It was mostly wild. What do I plant for ground cover? Do I plant native grass seed in fall? I want to keep it native as possible. ...
view the full question and answer
Ellinger, TX
Flowers for sandy loam and sun in Fayette Co., Texas
Hi I am looking to know what the best flowers are to plant in sandy loam and no shade?
view the full question and answer
Lexington, TX
Scrub oaks dropping limbs in Lexington TX
We live in the country between Elgin and Lexington. One of our "scrub" oaks is dropping large limbs. On examination, the limbs have green leaves and they do not appear to be rotted. Do you think ...
view the full question and answer
Lexington, TX
Soils for Central Texas wildflowers
Our family is moving to 40 acres near Lexington, TX with deep soil. Briefly talking to personnel at the Wildflower Center during Goblins in the Garden, I found that not all flowers in the Central Texa...
view the full question and answer
Lexington, TX
Cotton root rot in Purple Sage, Leucophyllus frutescens
We had three Purple Sage shrubs in our front yard. They did very well for about three years and then this past year they just died. From what I have read they are pretty hardy so we are really stum...
view the full question and answer