Native Plants
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A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members 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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Smarty Plants Question Topics
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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| Pictures of Bastard Cabbage from Dallas TX April 07, 2012 HI! Re your March 12 posting: The USDA Plants website pictures two very different looking plants identified as Rapistrum rugosum (bastardcabbage). Would you please post a photo with leaf and bloom ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Replacing non-native invasives with native grasses and wildflowers from Round Rock TX April 04, 2012 I have a small piece of property (1.5 AC) East of Austin, Texas that get's overgrown with weedy vegetation (johnson grass, dandelion, and some tall yellow flowering plant that I see all over the medi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mowing wildflower concerns from Lockhart TX March 30, 2012 I went to the Texas Highway Department (Texas Department of Transportation) web site and sent them a concern or complaint about them or independent contractors shredding the roadsides before the blueb... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native genista racemosa from Leander TX March 28, 2012 Hello, Mr. Smarty Plants. I fear I've made a horrible purchase at a local plant place. Bought a "broom" plant--it's not listed in your database. Latin name: genista racemosa, according to tag. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of the mass fields of yellow flowers in North Texas March 23, 2012 Are the mass fields of yellow flowers we are seeing in north Texas now likely to be Indian Mustard (brassica juncea) or Charlock (brassica kaber or sinapis arvensis)? We are teaching a wildflower ide... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of rubbery-looking tree with long green thorns March 21, 2012 I am trying to identify a tree that has a green rubbery look with long, sharp, green thorns. This tree is on my property in Conroe, TX and the soil type is Gladwater clay frequently flooded. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Controlling Passionflora Incarnata propagation March 20, 2012 Would a cinderblock raised bed, 8 inches in height, be sufficient to contain the roots of passiflora incarnata and keep them from traveling to places where I don't want the vine? Are the roots deepe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Bastard cabbage in Austin TX March 17, 2012 Not sure if this is the forum to address this; but is there any effort out there to do something about the bastard cabbage taking over Austin? Especially on MoPac where you can hardly see the bluebon... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Should the herbicide Ornamec 170 be used on unwanted grasses? March 15, 2012 I have a lovely wildflower garden in a field behind my house; unfortunately, the wildflowers are being smothered by grasses. I understand that Ornamec 170 can be used to control grasses in wildflower... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removing non-native plants appearing in Austin in early spring March 14, 2012 In order to know which plants to keep and which to remove, is there a source to look up and identify common non-native plants that are seen in Austin about this time of the year (late winter, early Sp... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Controlling Rapistrum rugosum (annual bastardcabbage) March 09, 2012 The invasive, Rapistrum rugosum, seems to be especially ubiquitous this year. I communicated with Dr. Mark Simmons a few years ago regarding his research, which indicated that over-sowing wit... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vinegar as a Herbicide March 08, 2012 When can you use vinegar on weeds to get rid of them. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Ligustrums planted last summer are doing poorly in Houston, TX. March 06, 2012 I planted large mature ligustrums trees (~ 8 ft) last summer and the leaves are turning yellow and falling off. Can you please tell me what the cause of this might be and what we can do to prevent th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shade ground cover under honeysuckle from Wichita KS February 21, 2012 Hi! I know this is a bit odd, but I am trying to find a nontoxic, good ground covering plant that can live in the shade while competing with the roots of a whole bunch of honeysuckle. I have a few ide... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Removal of non-native invasive Ligustrum japonica from Austin February 14, 2012 I bought a house that I am slowly turning into a native garden, but as a teacher, I have a really small budget. One entire border of my backyard (30 feet) was planted with evil Ligustrum japonica. I l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Landscaping large area in Webster KY February 10, 2012 We just bought a house that we fell in love with. The land around it . . . well it has GREAT potential but is seriously lacking at the moment. Trying to get the farm up and running leaves very litt... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for north side from Dale TX February 10, 2012 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)? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Edibility of peppervine berries from Madison MS February 09, 2012 I am following up on a question I've posed to many well experienced foragers and naturalists regarding the pepper vine plant or Ampelopsis arbor. There are many conflicting stories regarding the edib... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Reseeding a dead lawn in Wimberley TX February 07, 2012 Our new house had a sodded lawn that now appears dead. There remains a layer of sandy soil as a part of the sodding process. Is there a way to reseed these existing slabs of sod and what process wo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting time for non-natives in Irving TX February 07, 2012 Have dwarf nandinas and two lorapetalums that I want to transplant. Can I do it now February 6th 2012? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Invasive, non-native Siberian peashrub for waller TX February 02, 2012 Good Morning Mr. Smarty Plants! I am trying to find out if the Siberian Pea Shrub is a good plant for Southeast Texas or if it is considered an invasive no no. It seems to have many qualities for wild... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trees to replace some non-native invasives in Deltona FL February 02, 2012 I would like to replace 3 large ChinaBerry & 3 large Chinese Tallow trees in my good sized back yard with some local wildlife friendly trees native to the Deltona area(first area.) What do you recomme... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of bushes with red berries in Tennessee January 31, 2012 I was recently traveling thru Clarksville, TN and saw these bushes (at the shopping mall) that had clusters of small red berries on them. They were not a Holly that I know of. The leaves were not th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from Woodcreek TX January 27, 2012 I would like to attach a photo of a weed in my lawn and have you identify it. How do I send a photo? I have been told it may be ground ivy. Please tell me how to kill it without damaging the lawn. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care for indoor ivy from Carollton TX January 26, 2012 I have an indoor ivy that is on a pole. The pole is breaking, and I need to separate the ivy from the pole with the least amount of trauma to the plant. How should I do this? Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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