Native Plants
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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 |  | |
| Urushiol Oil Persistance? September 09, 2015 I'm trekking into poison ivy infested areas for work every other day. I make sure to wear long pants, long sleeves, boots, and long socks over my pants. I walk into my office to drop off supplies and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Is Convolvulus equitans poisonous? August 22, 2015 Hello, Can you tell me if convolvulus equitans is poisonous? If so, can you tell me how poisonous and which parts are poisonous? I am considering putting this in my backyard but I have a dog and an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vine with big flowers or fruits August 12, 2015 I need a vine that will take over a 8ft wide x 12 ft high lattice. It will be the center piece of the front of the house. It will be In sun almost constantly throughout the day. I'd like something wi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of vining shrub near Fort Worth August 07, 2015 Please let me know what this plant might be. Saw it one county west of Ft. Worth, in a wooded area, and I've never seen this in this region before. The form is a vining shrub. Leaves are heart-sh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Controlling Cocculus carolinus vines August 04, 2015 I live in Oklahoma City and want to rid my yard and flowerbeds of Cocculus Carolinus vines, I already have a infestation, I cant count the number of vines that were already established before I found ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Looking for an evergreen vine to grow on trellis as a privacy screen July 11, 2015 Hello, I'm looking for an evergreen vine to grow on a free standing trellis. It is used as a screen on our back porch, so ideally we would not like to use anything that flowers due to the insects ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Does Virginia creeper cause a rash? July 09, 2015 Does Virginia creeper cause a rash to everyone or those who are only allergic as in an allergy like a peanut allergy? Is it something that should be avoided like poison ivy? And does the sap stick to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Red, puffy growths on Concord grape vine July 07, 2015 I have a growth on my grapevine that is red and puffy almost looks like it is full of water. It is a Concord grapevine. I have images I can send to you! It is on the stems. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Safe to plant Wisteria frutescens near a foundation? July 01, 2015 I am interested in planting a Wisteria frutescens 'Nivea'. It will be next to a house foundation wall. Could you tell me what type of root system it has? Would it be a root that would dama... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Discouraging Poison Ivy June 27, 2015 Is there a fern that discourages poison ivy from growing? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Vine with 5 pointed deep lobed leaves and small white flowers June 21, 2015 I recently happened upon a very peculiar vine. It has 5 pointed very deep lobed leaves, that are semi hairy on both the top and bottom with small white flowers that emerge from the same part of the st... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Invasive vine with yellow flowers in Austin June 21, 2015 What is the invasive vine in Austin that has wire like stems and small leaves. It just blossomed huge yellow flowers this spring. It climbs cliff, trees, bldgs., etc. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of fleshy three-leaved vine in Central Texas June 20, 2015 I have a 3 leaved evergreen vine, that I assume is a central Texas native, growing in my yard in a non irrigated mostly shady spot. It has a strong odor when touched and looks and feels like a succule... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Will Crossvine damage stucco walls? June 17, 2015 The Crossvine I planted about a month ago is doing well. It is growing up a stucco wall and its little tendrils are sticking to (or into?) the stucco. Is this going to grow into the stucco and damage ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native vine for a privacy fence in Austin, TX. June 16, 2015 I have a vacant lot in Greenshores that has two 6' iron fences. Neighbor planted some sort of vine that grows up and along fence for privacy, white flowers when in bloom, I assume its Jasmine? On ne... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowering shrubs and vines for San Angelo, Texas May 28, 2015 Hello What would be the best flowering shrubs and vines to plant here in dry San Angelo? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to propagate Scarlet leatherflower (Clematis texensis) May 25, 2015 How do you collect seeds for the scarlet leatherflower? I saw your answer on how to grow from seeds but I'm not sure how to collect the seeds. Also is it possible to grow the scarlet leatherflower... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant for Erosion Control on Wooded Slope in MD May 19, 2015 We are looking for a plant to help with erosion control on a wooded slope next to our drive. The roots of several of the trees are exposed like a shelf, so I think it's a fairly severe problem. We ar... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of vining plants in yard in Texas May 08, 2015 I have vining plants in my back-yard, here when I bought the house, that, from what I have been able to find on-line, look like poison sumac, however, I know they are not. Leaf shape, color, and appe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vines for a backyard pergola not toxic to dogs and cats April 26, 2015 We have just built a pergola in out backyard and are wanting a vine to grow up and around the posts. We have 3 dogs and also have a cat that loves to go outside. We are really looking for something th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Passiflora and Leucophyllum together in Texas April 23, 2015 I've got a Passiflora incarnata that has self-propagated around a cenizo sage. My question is, will the passionflower vine choke out or otherwise damage the cenizo? Do I need to cut back the vine? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for a children's playground April 20, 2015 We have extensive native gardens on our 2 acre property, but my children want a garden of their own with plants they can hide under and that are good for imaginative play. Are there any native plants... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen groundcovers for NE NC April 20, 2015 Can you please provide a list of evergreen native groundcovers for Northeastern NC? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of ivy-like plant with large purplish leaves. March 27, 2015 Can you ID this ivy-like growing plant with a big purplish elephant ear type leaf and a big green stem pouch? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vine for Chain Link Fence in Virginia March 25, 2015 I am from Great Falls, Virginia. I would like to know what the best vine is to grow on aluminum fences to cover them up quickly but also doesn't damage expensive fences in a long term? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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