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
Manor, TX
Lindheimer's Muhly Grass Seeds for Human Use?
Does anyone know if Lindheimer's Muhly seeds were ever used as human food source?
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Manor, TX
January good time to plant live oak in January from Manor TX
I want to plant a Live Oak in January. Is this a good time to plant it?
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Dale, TX
Freeze-resistant palms for Central Texas
I live in Lytton Springs just north of Lockhart. What is a good hardy palm that I can get that will grow without the worry of freeze?
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Dale, TX
Yard grass that cows like to eat in Dale, TX
I need to know of a good grass seed to plant in the yard that will also be eaten by our cows. Prefer one that doesn't have any type of stickers/cocker burrs.
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Dale , TX
Plants for north side from Dale TX
What native trees and bushes can I plant on the north side of house? Can I use corn meal( I NEED FIGHT A GRASS) in flowerbed and then plant native wildlife seeds(FLOWERS)?
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Red Rock, TX
Freeze damage to non-native Sago Palms in Red Rock TX
I have 4 beautiful large sago palms in my rural Texas yard. All 4 have been damaged by several hard freezes this winter. All fronds are brown, with a little green at base of inner fronds. Are they ...
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Del Valle , TX
Plants that survive Central Texas weather
What type of plants survive the Central Texas region weather for summer and winter?
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Del Valle, TX
Replanting members of Rosaceae family in same spot
HI Mr. Smarty Plants We had two apple (yellow fruit) trees besides out house and they died. Is it ok to replant in the same place with other trees without being afraid something is wrong with the soi...
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Bastrop, TX
Propagation of Texas sage from Bastrop, TX
Am I wasting my time trying to transplant texas sage runners? Any advice?
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Bastrop, TX
Pet-friendly plants for ground cover in Bastrop TX
Any pet-friendly plants that can be used for ground-cover in Central Texas?
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Bastrop, TX
Mixing of bluebonnets and buffalograss in a lawn
I have moved into a house with a yard full of weeds. I would like to plant Buffalograss but understand Buffalograss is sparce and difficult to keep the weeds out. So, I was considering mixing it wit...
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Bastrop, TX
Dandelions in bluebonnets in Bastrop TX
I have a 20'x60' front yard area where I planted bluebonnets. It has become horrifically inundated with dandelions.
How do I eradicate the dandelions while preserving the bluebonnets ?
Thanks ...
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Bastrop, TX
Information about giant yellow and black wasps
Regarding a previous question submitted by a person asking about the giant yellow and black wasps..It's a Cicada Killer.I used to see them all the time when I was a kid in Victoria, Tx..But I haven'...
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Bastrop, TX
Possible freeze damage in Wax Myrtle from last winter in Bastrop, TX
Our Wax Myrtle is about 7 yrs old and in good shape until this past winter when we had several very hard freezes. Now several of the large branches are dead and more are dying each month. We have not ...
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Bastrop, TX
Screen of Thuja Occidentalis on fire-damaged property in Bastrop TX
I want to plant a screen of Thuja Occidentalis on the east side of our driveway. It is in the burn area of Bastrop, TX. None of our trees survived. Will Thuja Occidentalis grow here? I saw some specim...
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Bastrop, TX
Evergreen plants with showy flowers for pots in Central Texas
I'm looking for evergreen plants with showy flowers suitable for Central Texas. Plants need to do well in pots.. they will be planted in flower boxes in my very sunny porch.
thanks!!!
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Bastrop, TX
Grasses and wildflowers for Central Texas
I live between Bastrop and Paige and would like to know native grasses or types of wildflowers I can plant now.
thank you
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Bastrop, TX
Groundcovers to replace meadow grasses
Are there any groundcovers that are tolerant to local conditions between Bastrop and Elgin and hardy enough to takeover meadow grasses? I have a couple of acres that was a meadow before I moved here e...
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Bastrop, TX
Moving Iris bulbs
I will be moving and want to take my Iris bulbs with me. Can I dig them up now that they are in flower?
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Bastrop, TX
Native sun plants for Bastrop TX
We live in the Bastrop area and have a 21 ft. by 15 ft. sunny area. We also need help with a list of native plants and want to start planting from tallest to short. Can you please advise?
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Bastrop, TX
Flowering plants for shady garden in Bastrop
We live in Bastrop, 8 miles west of the Historical district. We have a small flower garden in a shady spot around 25 feet from the back patio of our home. We'd like to find out what native plants, f...
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