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
Fort Worth, TX
Darkened leaves on blueberry bush
I have a blueberry bush planted in a very large pot. It has been doing very well, producing berries and new growth.
All of a sudden the leaves have begun to turn dark.
I have it potted in good soil...
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Fort Worth, TX
Arctostaphylos Hanging Basket for Texas
I would like to plant an Arctostaphylos uva-ursi in a hanging basket with a coco liner. Will this work, or will the roots grow too long? it's the 'Massachusetts' cultivar.
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Fort Worth, TX
The flower on the Plant Price page of Wildflower Center website
What is the name of the flower that is on the Plant Price page of the Center's web site? I saw it for the first time this spring near Weatherford. It's red/orange & white and resembles a snapdrago...
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Fort Worth, TX
Acid rain in Ft. Worth?
ALERT. NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. Why are so many trees, plants, etc. in the Fort Worth area dying?? I heard acid rain. Please don't say drought. I have lived in this area all my life and survived t...
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Fort Worth, TX
Need source for garlic to plant in garden in Fort Worth, TX.
Where can I get or purchase a native Texas garlic to plant in my garden?
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Fort Worth, TX
Plant identification
I had a strange plant pop up in my yard this year, and I figured maybe you guys could help me out.
This plant is spreading along the ground, and the stem is woody right where it is coming out of th...
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Fort Worth, TX
Yaupon hollies dying mysteriously
I have a row of yaupon hollies (Ilex vomitoria) that I keep trimmed like a hedge. They were all healthy for many years. Two years ago one of them died and I removed it, leaving a gap in the line of h...
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Fort Worth, TX
Where to find Yarrow for sale in the area of Ft. Worth TX?
I'm very fond of the native plant called "Yarrow." Where might I find this in the Fort Worth area, and what are the tips for growing it. Seems like I saw it in one of the gardens at the LBJ Wildf...
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Fort Worth, TX
Eastern red cedar for indoor Christmas tree
I would love to have a live b&b or container tree for a Christmas tree, then plant it in the ground after Christmas. Would a Eastern Cedar survive if I brought it inside for a couple of weeks before p...
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Fort Worth, TX
Xeriscaping in clay on a slope in Fort Worth
Xeriscaping in clay (Fort Worth) on a slope --
Please offer suggestions and publications.
Thanks
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Fort Worth, TX
Plants for under pine in Ft. Worth
My front yard, in Fort Worth, faces north. There is a large shade-giving pine tree in the middle. I am looking at options for what spreading groundcover varieties to plant underneath this rather large...
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Fort Worth, TX
Edibility of Rumex hastatulus (heartwing sorrel)
My mother and aunt, who are in their 80s, tell stories of eating a plant, when they were girls in North Central Texas. They call the plant "sheep shire". My mother says that it is a flat weed, that...
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Fort Worth, TX
Need for smaller tree with less invasive roots from Ft. Worth TX
The sycamore in the front yard has developed roots larger than the branches. They have decided that the water and sewer lines are perfect to acquire their water from. For this reason it will be coming...
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Fort Worth, TX
Hackberry stripped by Cedar Waxwings or American Goldfinches
I live in Fort Worth. My one and only tree in the backyard is a 23 year old hackberry. While not infested with gall or weevils, we have been invaded this past few weeks by hordes of small, chubby, yel...
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Fort Worth, TX
Why is Common Horehound missing from NPIN?
Hi there, I am not able to find Marrubium vulgare, i.e. Common or White Horehound, in the Native Plant Database. It grows abundantly on our ranch in Central Texas, and I am attempting to grow i...
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Ft. Worth, TX
Plants for pool area in Fort Worth
We have a new pool in our backyard, and now also quite a bit of bare land to go with it. Looking for native grass suggestions and also shrubs/trees that I can plant around the pool area for privacy an...
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Fort Worth, TX
Will non-native poisonous oleander grow through non-native invasive bermudagrass in Ft. Worth?
I was wondering if you knew which flowering plants would grow through grass. I have bermuda, have tried raised beds but due to uneven yard with lots of rock it would be too expensive to do properly. ...
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Fort Worth, TX
Location of pine trees for a wedding site in Grapevine TX
Okay, I know this is a long shot. My daughter is getting married in Grapevine, October 18 at sunrise. She REALLY wants to have the ceremony near pine trees. Any suggestions for locations in Grapevine ...
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Fort Worth, TX
How do you get rid of Mexican Petunia?
How do you get rid of Mexican Petunia?
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Fort Worth, TX
Tree resembling live oak, but with thorns
I'm trying to ID a tree in our backyard, most of our trees are Live Oaks and the tree in question has a dark almost black and gray bark that looks just like a Live Oak. The leaves are similar but lig...
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Fort Worth, TX
Shrub to hide chain link fence
Mr. Smarty Plants, Please recommend a tall, thick shrub to conceal the 6 foot chain link fence around the perimeter of our property. The fence is located down a hill from our home with western exposur...
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