Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
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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| Possible cinnamon-scented plants in Mississippi delta July 11, 2005 I used to live in Mississippi and now live in Illinois. I am trying to find what plant or tree has a strong cinnamon-like scent that fills the air. I noticed this scent driving through the delta in Mi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Smoke Tree July 11, 2005 I live in Indianapolis Indiana and there is this wonderful tree on my street which has the most unusual flowers that I've ever seen. They look like pink and white fiber optics. Spencer gift stores us... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Hesperaloe parviflora July 11, 2005 I see these bright pink orange flowers on tall bracts everyday on the way to work. I have been searching for the name so I can buy one. I found a picture on your site at (http://www.wildflower.org/?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seed source for non-native Cenipa americana July 11, 2005 The Genipa americana plant or seeds, do you have it on sale too? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Controlling scale insects on hollies July 10, 2005 I have a number of holly shrubs at the side of my house. Recently I noticed that they have tiny white spots on them. I looked at several native Texas gardening books, but can't find what I need to t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on women trying to conceive July 10, 2005 RE: Eucalyptus. Is this bad for women trying to conceive? The smell is very powerful. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Deadheadidng of gaillardia July 10, 2005 How do I maintain gaillardias? Specially, do I deadhead them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Smarty Plants on Wildflowerology July 08, 2005 I know there is a word for everything, but I can't find the offical word for the study of wildflowers. Wildflowerology just doesn't sound right. Can you help? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Differentiating between Cow-itch vine and Balsam-gourd vine July 08, 2005 How can I tell the difference between Cow-itch vine and Balsam-gourd vine? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Obtaining invasive weeds for biocontrol research in Florida July 07, 2005 I work at the Dept. of Entomology at the University of Florida doing host range testing for biocontrol agents (insects) of invasive weeds in Florida. I need some help in getting live plants of some e... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plant nursery July 07, 2005 I want to grow wildflower starts for tough-to-grow plants for retail and commercial sale. And I prefer organic, but, jeez, one step at a time. Any guidance on the ins and outs of this business? D... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small native flowering plants for Plano, TX July 07, 2005 Suggestions for native flowering plants small enough for a border planting? I live in Plano TX, just north of Dallas. Zone 8. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trumpet flower side effects July 06, 2005 What happens if you eat a trumpet flower, what are the side effects and dangers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Caring for non-native Peace Lily July 04, 2005 I have given my closet plant too much miracle gro and the leaves are drooping really bad. What do I need to do? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| More on bluebonnets July 01, 2005 I've seen several recommendtions for using a Bluebonnet Inoculant when planting Bluebonnets. "For best success, we strongly suggest using Bluebonnet inoculant (to assist in fixing nitrogen into soi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Echinacea paradoxa July 01, 2005 What kind of habitat (soil, sun, water etc) does Echinacea paradoxa like to live in? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on hyacinth bean vine July 01, 2005 I'm looking for what I believe is a wild vine. All i know is that it has purplish colored beans and the flowers are also purple. Also the vine itself is purplish. i believe that the vine is either fro... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Willows native to Wisconsin July 01, 2005 I have a small garden center in the far northern reaches of Wisconsin....and I specialize in native varieties for up here. I also help folks with lake shore restoration and preservation. There was... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Ebenopsis July 01, 2005 Why is the Texas Ebony, genus Pithecolobium, not in your database? Is it not a native? Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low maintenance native plants for college campus in Monterey, CA June 30, 2005 I am a graduate student at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. We are researching ways to save money (decreased maintenance, pesticide/herbicide use, etc) on our campus. I need so... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant Identification June 30, 2005 I have a plant that someone gave me and I don't have a clue what it is. I have a picture of it on my computer. If you can send me a email address where I can send the picture to you, that would be gre... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Suggestions for Texas native plants for memorial June 30, 2005 A dear friend of ours has passed and we would like some ideas of a native Texas plant we could plant in memory of her. It will be grown in the hill region near Houston. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sources of native plants for Marin County, CA June 30, 2005 Where in Marin County, California can I get native area plants? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Black walnut herbivory June 13, 2005 We moved to Texas just about a year ago and have loved it here. This past January we visited the Wildflower Center and obtained some black walnut seeds. Up until last night the tree was doing well p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Oleanders June 11, 2005 I have 3 Nerium Oleanders. In the winter they come indoors, and are under grow lights. They are in big pots. We just put them outside on patio, and they don't look good. They still have green tips ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on chile pequin June 11, 2005 I cannot find plants or seeds for the chile pequin (birds eye chile) plant. Do you have any or know of any business or person from whom I may purchase them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on bio-security June 11, 2005 Hello, My friend and I are summer interns at the Bryan Mound Strategic Petroleum Reserve Site in Freeport, Texas. Our jobs as the interns is to find a plant that is friendly to the animals around our... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Parkinsonia aculeata June 11, 2005 What is the name of the tall shrub I see growing wild around Austin that is delicate, with thin stems and branches, and lacy, with multiple leaves, and yellow flowers? It looks lovely growing in a ma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wildflowers that will grow in sandy soil in New York June 09, 2005 Dear Mr. S. Pants, We live near Albany, NY in what was once a pine forest. The soil is very, very sandy. I've had some success with wildflowers but I have to use some topsoil and humus mixture to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on cell elongation June 09, 2005 Why do plants grow faster in the dark? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting native azaleas in South Carolina June 09, 2005 When is the best time to transplant azaleas in South Carolina Low Country? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of poinsettias June 09, 2005 How do I grow poinsettias from seed pods? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Texas plants that will grow in sandy soil and salt tolerant June 08, 2005 I am in the US Coast Guard and we are looking to plant some wildflowers. The plants will be near saltwater and may get exposed if the area floods during a tropical storm or hurricane. Being on the Gul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care for non-native Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum) June 07, 2005 How do you care for an Easter Lily once the flowers have fallen off? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low maintenance native plants for sloping lawn in Maine June 07, 2005 Hello, we live in Maine and have clay-ey soil with a lot of sun. I suspect the soil is acidic as well. We would like to replace at least part of our small front lawn with native ground cover or gras... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on edible and poisonous plants June 06, 2005 I am trying to gather information regarding edible and poisonous plants in Utah's Salt Lake City area. Can you help? Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wildflower seed for west central Texas acreage June 06, 2005 We have a ranch in central Texas between Brownwood and Brady and want to plant wildflowers that will grow in that area. We'd like to cover acreage and need information on what mix would suit our are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for Maine June 06, 2005 Hi there, I am looking for types of wildflowers that might be growing in Maine late july that would be okay to pick (would rather not pick endangered species, etc.). Any leads would be great. Also if ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of ferns June 05, 2005 I have several varieties of well-established ferns and would like to know how I might propagate these ferns. I have tried just snipping one stem to root it but I was unsuccessful. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Desmanthus and Chamaecrista seeds June 05, 2005 Hello my wildflower specialist friend. I got 20 Desmanthus illinoensis and also Chamaecrista fasciculata seeds. Then I planted them in early March, when there was still frost, in clayish soil, not far... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Jewel of the Nile June 04, 2005 My husband and I just returned from a short trip to San Francisco. While on a bus tour that took us to the Twin Peaks area, we saw some beautiful purple flowers growing on the hillside. Our tour guid... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Resurrection Plant June 03, 2005 Hello, I have a plant that my grandmother gave to me. When she gave me the plant it was a dried bundle; but, as soon as she put in water, the plant opened up and came to life again. Then, we let it... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sources of native wildflowers for Long Island, NY May 27, 2005 What wildflowers are native to Long Island and where can I buy seeds/plants? There is so much information out there that I find my region, Long Island, seems to get lost. There is only 1 loca... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on mockoranges May 25, 2005 I live in Colorado where it is common to have 1 or 2 late frosts. I planted 4 littleleaf mockoranges (Philadelphus Microphyllus) 2 years ago and they are pretty much in full sun most of the day. I h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on potted plants May 23, 2005 How do you know when it is time to transfer a potted plant to a bigger pot? Everytime I do this my plant dies. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on staghorn sumac May 23, 2005 I currently have staghorn sumac in my yard located in Woodstock, Connecticut. it appears to be of the Rhus typhina species. i am removing these from my yard using a chainsaw and creating a pile of ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Locations where non-native Mimosa trees grow May 23, 2005 Where do mimos trees grow? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native maples for the Austin, TX area May 21, 2005 I am new to the state of Texas. I lived in Canada all of my life and miss my maple trees. Are maple trees (green or red leafed varieties) able to thrive in Austin? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Iris native to Louisiana May 19, 2005 A friend of mine has discovered white iris growing alongside of a swampy habitat in southeast Louisiana where there are blue, yellow and copper/red irises. We presume it is wild because it is in a na... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants available for viewing in Wildflower Center in October May 19, 2005 We are thinking of bringing a group to visit the Wildflower Center during the weekend of my son's wedding in Austin in early October. Will there be much to see at the garden at that time of year? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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