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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| Plant Suggestions for Flower Boxes in NY July 06, 2016 I am doing a project for a friend that had some flower boxes built along his driveway. They are along a hill leading up to his porch. They are made of all wood and have a wooden wall along the not-hil... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vine for 60 foot long by 2 foot high cinder block wall May 20, 2016 Looking for a vine to cover a 60 foot long 2 foot high cinder block wall. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of fast growing vine in San Francisco March 20, 2016 Really need to know what kind of vine is growing rapidly in the garden. Can't find out in plant identification: started to grow profusely after rainfall. Grows at rate of 6-8" per day (!). Has ivy-l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native vine for fence on youth baseball field March 15, 2016 Our community in Comanche, Texas would like to plant a native vine on the back fence of a youth baseball field. We have plans to plant an area of native grasses behind the fence, between the fence an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Information about mustang grapes March 14, 2016 We live in the Driftwood area. There is a native vine that looks like Mustang grape but never produces. A friend who is native to this area called it rat vine. I miss my Mustang grape jelly. Is t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vine to attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds in Austin March 09, 2016 We'd like suggestions for a climbing, flowering, butterfly/hummingbird friendly plant for our Austin, TX backyard!! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Are Carolina jessamine flowers toxic to bees? March 08, 2016 Hello Mr. Smarty Plants, My husband and I recently planted 15 yellow Carolina Jessamine bushes along our back fence. Our hope is that it will vine up into the fence and give us privacy. I went online... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to Control Poison Ivy February 22, 2016 We have lots of Poison Ivy on a site we are clearing it is adjacent to a pond and children are around this area all the time. We are creating hiking paths. I have a lot of experience but I do not wan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowering Shade Plant for California February 21, 2016 I have a house north facing that has a "flower bed" in front that unfortunately is shaded 100% of the time. There are roses in the bed currently (they came with the house) but they do poorly. We are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of vining plant with red berries in California January 28, 2016 We found a vining plant next to and growing in our stream with gorgeous purple leaves in the fall after frost and a few sporadic clusters of smooth small red berries with little thorns on the vine. We... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Western Poison Oak Sap Transfer January 26, 2016 My partner is a park ranger and constantly exposed to poison oak. He gets infected sometimes but mostly seems to tolerate it pretty well. I, on the other hand, keep getting reinfected with it, all ove... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shrub Recommendation for Chain Link Fence in DE January 26, 2016 What shrub would you recommend for covering a chain link fence and providing a screen between mine & my neighbors yard? They have kids, so it would have to be non-toxic. I'd like flowers/berries for ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pet Friendly Groundcovers for CA January 23, 2016 I am looking for pet friendly, groundcover plants in San Jose, CA. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vine for Nevada Sunny Wall January 23, 2016 I want a non-invasive vine to grow on a block wall that receives approx 6-10 hrs of sun. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I want to put in a narrow walkway between our house and a block wall to add color ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How many seeds in a Balsam Gourd fruit? January 12, 2016 How many seeds should I expect to find inside the fruit of Ibervillea Londoners? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| When to Plant Texas Wisteria? December 09, 2015 When is the best time to plant Texas Wisteria, Fall or Spring? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vines for a Chicago Pergola in Zone 5 November 28, 2015 I'm looking for some recommendations of vines for my south-facing pergola. I live in a northwest suburb of Chicago, in Zone 5 with heavy clay soil. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to get Poison Ivy? November 22, 2015 I know this is a silly question but we have a lot of poison ivy in the area and I know that birds eat the seeds and berries, can you get poison ivy from bird poop or track it in the house? From shoes ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of Texas grapes November 11, 2015 What is the best way to propagate wild Texas grapes? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Poison ivy always rooted in the ground? November 11, 2015 Does Poison ivy on a tree always start at the ground and climb up the tree or can it start producing its vine and leaves by itself at the top of the tree or middle? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ficus pumila on Stucco Walls October 06, 2015 Can the creeping fig vine damage the stucco covered walls? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible allelopathic properties of Prosopis glandulosa (Honey mesquite) October 02, 2015 I want to plant a coral honeysuckle at the base of a mesquite tree. Anything in the mesquite that would inhibit the honeysuckle from growing? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vine for Shady California Apartment Patio October 01, 2015 I have a smallish gazebo on my apartment patio. I'm looking for a delicate looking flowering vine to grow in shade in Southern California. Perennial would be wonderful but this is probably too much ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting Wisteria frutescens Against a House in Wisconsin October 01, 2015 I have a question about Wisteria frutescens ('Amethyst Falls'). I know it's far less aggressive than the non-native species, but how aggressive is its root system? Can I plant it close to my house ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for Georgetown with shade in the AM and sun in the PM September 30, 2015 Hi, I live in Georgetown and I would like a recommendation for plants (shrubs and flowering perennials) that can handle deep shade until 1 or 2 pm and then have full sun blasting them til sun down. T... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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