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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| topic | question | |
| Young Mexican White Oak Losing Leaves in Texas July 13, 2016 I have a 5 yr old Mexican white oak, 20 ft tall losing its leaves mostly at the top. They turn brown & fall off. It does not lose its leaves in the winter, right?. About 3 ft from the top down is bare... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Possible Herbicide Contamination of Soil July 07, 2016 My mother will be 80 this year and lives in Houston, Texas. She has a raised bed garden near her neighbors fence. It has been there for many years. She feels that he uses Roundup for his weeds near a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Status of Texas Olive tree in Katy, TX March 30, 2016 I have a Texas Olive tree and it has very few leaves. Is this normal? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Repairing Damage to Oak Tree Bark February 02, 2016 I have destructive horses who have torn a lot of the bark off of my oak trees. I've moved the horses from that area, but is there something I can put on the places where the bark is missing so the tr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pin Oak Dropping Leaves Early December 17, 2015 I have a large pin oak that's losing it's leaves at this time. Is this too early? I have been watering the tree during the hot, dry weather and overall the tree looks healthy and has a good crop of ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Causes of death to Papershell pinion pine (Pinus remota)? December 03, 2015 Good afternoon. I did my best to review the site and have not found a comparable question - apologies if I have missed something. I own property equidistant between Leakey and Campwood off of HWY 33... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Should Mexican milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) not be used to attract Monarch butterflies? November 20, 2015 Should I remove Asclepias curassavica (Mexican milkweed) in my garden for threat of OE parasitic protozoan threat to Monarch butterflies? Is this threat as widespread as Chronicle implies? I had great... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What is the black stuff growing on my thoroughwort? October 27, 2015 What is the black stuff on my thoroughwort plant's leaves that is killing the plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Precautions regarding pruning live oaks in the Austin area. October 27, 2015 Is it still recommended that we clean pruning shears and spray wounds when pruning live oaks in the Austin area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is my Crimson queen maple dying? October 20, 2015 Is my Crimson queen maple dying if it's leaves are turning brown? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need help for diseased Cherry Laurel tree in Houston October 19, 2015 A couple of weeks ago the leaves on my decade old cherry laurel began to turn brown. Now they are entirely brown. I have not changed the way in which I cared for it, but about three days ago I noticed... 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 | ||
| Palm Leaves Turning Brown October 03, 2015 My palm plant leaves are turning brown starting at the tip and moving down the leaf. I've changed my watering amounts, and moved it from the direct light to partial light and back. It's not by any ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rejuvenating old Lindheimer muhly clumps October 02, 2015 I've got two clumps of Lindheimer's muhly in full sun in the western (limestone) part of Austin. I'm thinking they've been there for the past 8 or so years. In the past two or three years, the g... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Florist Gloxinia Care October 01, 2015 Got a florist gloxinia and it was doing great for months. Went on vacation and returned; it was wilted. Think son watered it too much. Allowed it to dry. It has some new leaves forming on the very leg... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Willow Tree with Bark and Leaves Falling Off in Missouri October 01, 2015 My willow tree is suddenly lost leaves on 1/2 of the tree. The tree has 2 major trunks and the leaves that have fallen (all off within about 3 weeks) are on one trunk but the bark is impacted on both ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need help with Wheeler's Dwarf Pittosporum September 02, 2015 We have about five Dwarf Wheeler Pittosporum plants. All of them are mature and were doing well. I was on vacation for a week or so and when I came back I saw of each of them is plant 90% dead. The d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dieback of river fern and maidenhair fern in the Texas summer August 28, 2015 My river fern and maiden hair fern are dying back. I know it is hot, but they are in shade and watered regularly. The river fern is dying back from the tips. Any fungus or bugs I should be looking ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can a Quaking aspen grow in central Texas? August 11, 2015 I live in Austin and like the idea of a Quaking Aspen tree. I live on a creek and the tree(s) would get good sun and water. Am I crazy? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| American Beech with Brown Leaves August 06, 2015 I have a North American beech tree in Oregon. Its leaves started out with big brown spots on the leaves and is pretty much turning all the leaves on the tree brown. What could be causing this and wha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Beautyberry Dying Back August 06, 2015 I've got an American Beautyberry which I planted in the spring. It's now about 2-3 feet tall and has 3 trunks (or limbs). It's in an area which gets about 5 hours of direct sun per day and I've be... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| American beautyberry losing leaves in San Antonio August 03, 2015 I planted 3 American beautyberry last fall, and 2 of them are doing great. All the leaves on the 3rd one suddenly started dropping about 2 weeks ago and it looks dead. I can't find anything to tell... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Powdery Mildew on Monterrey Oak July 30, 2015 Monterrey oak developing gray-white patches on some but not all leaves leading to wilting. could this be powdery mildew? Tree not stressed. Thanks. Best treatment? 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 | ||
| Protecting storm-damaged pecan and black walnut trees in TX June 29, 2015 Several trees on our property in northeast Texas were uprooted by a tornado. A pecan tree with a circumference greater than 93 inches was carried to the ground. Although it is completely horizontal,... 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 |  | |
| Milky Substance on Salvia greggii June 26, 2015 The Salvia greggii that I have in the front yard has a milky substance on it ... and the plants are not doing well. Is this some kind of fungi or disease? What can I do to "cure" it? Thank you! Lia... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need help with dying clumps of Cedar Sedge June 24, 2015 Carex planostachys. This grass was planted 2 years ago in light shade. It grew well until this year. Now some clumps are dying. Others in same area look fine. No insects can be detected. Why are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why are large numbers of leaves falling from my Live Oak trees in Driftwood, TX? June 24, 2015 Today is June 6, 2015 and I have noticed that for the last week and a half, only a few live oaks out of many, have been losing large numbers of green leaves and turning brown on the ground. I cannot ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dying Damianita in Blanco, TX. June 18, 2015 My Damianita bloomed its heart out and since all the rain here in Blanco the biggest plants turned brown and look dead. I've trimmed back some and do see green stems. Will they come back? How far ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Various landscape problems in Omaha, NE. June 18, 2015 Thank you for your time, sorry i cant sort this out because my issue seems to fit many but also none of the issues I've read about. Some patches of grass in my lawn have yellow spots and dying and/or... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Red oak leaves have a swelling along the veins June 17, 2015 I have red oaks in my back yard, approx 30 or more have a disease that are wilting the leaves. Looking at the back of the leaf there is swelling along the spines. I've gone to one nursery in town ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Brown spots on native oak trees June 16, 2015 Hi, My native live oak trees are declining. The leaves have small brown spots that increase in size until the leaf dies and falls off, then the branch and then the entire limb. I have not watered the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why doesn't Diervilla lonicera bloom in Wisconsin? June 11, 2015 I have had a Diervilla lonicera in southeastern Wisconsin for at least 5 years. It has never bloomed. Why? It appears healthy. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Central branches on Texas Ash have died June 09, 2015 I have a Texas Ash tree that was planted about 4 years ago. It seemed fine last summer and was well watered. This spring, when it started leafing out, the central branches at the upper part of the tre... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need help for my Texas Persimmon in Leander, TX. June 03, 2015 Help!! My Texas Persimmon is distressed with either bugs or infection. I'm not sure what to do. I wanted to insert a picture here, but wasn't able to. If there's a way for me to submit a picture... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Failure of TX bluebonnets to thrive May 28, 2015 We have had extraordinary luck with bluebonnets growing in our driveway of decomposed granite--until last year and this year. The bluebonnets seem to be drying up and wilting away. The ones in other a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Falling Balls from an Oak in Kingsland TX May 25, 2015 I have a large Live Oak in the back yard, with St. Augustine grass under it. It is April 3, 2015. The leaves have fallen and now little tiny round balls are falling. I am hearing a popping noise und... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ostrya virginiana Compatible with Juglone May 17, 2015 Is Ostrya virginiana sensitive to juglone? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Willow Tree Early Leaf Fall May 14, 2015 I have a weeping willow tree and it put out great leaves this Spring and looked great, but now here in the middle of May all the leaves are turning yellow and falling off like it does in the fall. So ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Texas sage losing inner leaves May 14, 2015 I have a Texas Sage bush that on the outside is beautiful with green leaves. The inside branches (the middle) of the bush are bare of any leaves. Why? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mountain Laurel suffering from Spring freeze May 12, 2015 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... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need to know about little brown spots on Texas Mountain Laurel May 11, 2015 I have little brown spots on my Texas Mountain Laurel leaves. I can email you a picture if needed. What could it be and how can I help my little laurels work thru these spots? The texas mountain ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Elaeagnus sudden death in Waxahachie, TX May 11, 2015 I live in North Central Texas and have eleagnus planted along my fence in full sun. Last year one dropped all it's leafs and died. The same is happening to one beside it this year. I have sprayed ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shade Loving Plants for Under a Black Walnut Tree in Rochester, NY. May 09, 2015 Please advise on plants that will grow in the shade under a black walnut tree in Rochester, NY. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Stressed Ashe juniper is dropping needles May 07, 2015 We have a large Ashe juniper tree in our backyard, at least 20 ft tall. This past winter/spring, several limbs have died and it's dropped a ton of leaves (clumps of "needles" really). Is it slowly ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Effect of heavy rains on Lindheimer Muhly May 04, 2015 It is April 2015, in San Antonio we've had very heavy rains recently. My Lindheimer muhly, which was looking beautiful, has now turned brown all over. Is this normal or is this a problem? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Carolina buckthorn and Neem Oil Spray Damage April 27, 2015 It's April, I have a Carolina buckthorn that seemed to be doing well, about 8 feet tall, about 2 years old in part shade. It was putting out new leaves about a month ago and seemed to have infestati... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ground Arizona ash wood suitable for mulch? April 23, 2015 We cut down a 40 year old Arizona ash tree and had the stump ground into mulch. Can we use this mulch in our vegetable garden and flower beds View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Teucrium resistant to Verticillium Wilt? April 20, 2015 Is Teucrium frutescans, or Bush Germander resistant to Verticillium Wilt? I cannot find it on a list anywhere. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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