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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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Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

Questions From Near You

Mason, TX
Source of dry molasses near Mason, Texas
Can you guys point me to a local source of dry molasses? I can get 50 lb bags from Amazon but shipping cost is almost double the cost of the product. I want to try it as a supplement to mechanical con...
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Mason, TX
Buffalograss for Mason County, TX
I am interested in planting buffalo grass at a ranch home in between Mason and Fredericksburg, TX. I've read buffalograss doesn't do well in sandy soils, which this area (Hilda, TX) seems to have a ...
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Mason, TX
Foundation plants unlikely to provide good shade for rattlesnakes in TX
I would like to plant native grass around my new home in the country near Mason, TX. My concerns are the rattlesnakes that are common here, and if they could "hide" in the native grasses since they ...
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Mason, TX
Plant identification
Hello- I would like to know what is this plant? It grows in part to full sun over a large area; gray fuzzy, quilted, pointed leaves. It is now about 6-10" tall plants but there are untrimmed 24-3...
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Hext, TX
Identification of large egg-like objects on vines in Texas
This past weekend we were at our deer lease in Hext,TX. My children and I went exploring along the banks of the San Saba river and found what we originally thought were some type of turtle or turkey e...
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Valley Spring, TX
Growing live oaks from acorns
What is the best way to grow Live Oaks from acorns?
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Brady, TX
Transplanting young Nolina texana plants
Mr. SP, I am looking for information relating to transplanting some young Nolina texana. Esp. the best time of the year and whether to replant directly in the ground or .. Thanks,
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Brady, TX
Mountain Laurel and Desert Willow in pots or ground in Brady, TX
I would really appreciate your advice if a Texas Mountain Laurel (now a 1 gal. size) and a Desert Willow (now a 3 gal.) are good candidates for planting in containers and, if so, what size for each? ...
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Brady, TX
Freeze damage to esperanza in pot from Brady TX
My esperanza, currently in a container, has suffered some freeze damage. I have prepared a planting spot for it and am not sure whether to plant now, trim it back if I do plant it, etc. I would appr...
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Harper, TX
How do I get rid of KR Bluestem in my yard in Harper, TX?
I have something in my yard that has washed down from the pasture beside us. I think maybe it is KR Bluestem, how do I get rid of it? I cannot keep up with the digging of it, Help!
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Llano, TX
Freeze damage on Barrel Cactus in Llano TX
I believe my barrel cactus has freeze damage. The flesh turned yellow and is now turning dark. The base is still green. If I cut off the damaged top portion, leaving the green base, should it survive?...
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Llano, TX
Native replacement for Mexican heather in Llano, TX
Please suggest a native or adaptable alternative plant for Mexican Heather.
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Llano, TX
Texas sage near a granite outcropping from Llano TX
I have a large granite outcropping near my house. There are pockets that have spring flowers growing in them and is just beautiful in the spring. I want to plant other native plants in and about the g...
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Llano, TX
Can trees survive if trunks are buried under 3-5 ft of soil?
We have two cedar elms and a mesquite that I protected from backfill as our Texas Hill Country lot was leveled in preparation for building a house. The bulkheads are now holding back 3' to 5' of ma...
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Llano, TX
Mountain Laurel suffering from Spring freeze
I have a 4 1/2 ft Texas Mountain Laurel shrub in current location for several years. A hard freeze this spring killed every leaf on the tree, but the stems remained green. My other smaller Mt. Laure...
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Llano, TX
Native Substitute for Boxwood in Llano, TX
I love boxwood because it's evergreen & provides a great backdrop to my flowers w/o taking over the bed. However, I'm trying to stick with native plants, so can you provide a native alternative to b...
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Llano, TX
Planting Anacacho orchid tree in Llano, TX
Re Bauhinia lunarioides: I'm trying to pick a good site in Llano Co for a 5 gal tree I received as a gift. Your plant database says part shade. The arid zone trees publication you reference in a...
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Llano, TX
Trimming a bur oak in Llano, TX
We have a beautiful, large Burr Oak next to our house. This tree has many large lateral branches. I have trimmed dead branches, but no other trimming. It grows a lot of "suckers" during growing sea...
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Llano, TX
High mowing equipment for Llano TX
We're trying to follow your wildflower meadow recommendation "if your meadow has tall, warm-season native grasses, wait until late summer or early fall to mow, allowing them to elongate, flower, and...
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Llano, TX
What is the pH of Bald Cypress needles?
What is the pH of Bald Cypress needles?
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Llano, TX
What is the orange vine that is covering the wildflowers from Llano, TX?
What is the invasive orange vine that is covering the wildflowers on Texas highways?
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