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.
Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
Search Smarty Plants
| topic | question | |
| Seeding Bluebonnets in Missouri July 07, 2016 I live in St. Louis, MO and obtained a packet of Bluebonnet seeds as well as a seedling. I read up on inoculating and scarifying the seeds, but I'm unsure as to the soil I should use. I was planning ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Using Horse Manure for the Garden July 07, 2016 Can you use horse manure for decomposed matter for your flower beds, etc.? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problem with Adding 5 inches of Mulch and Soil Under Juniper July 03, 2016 My landscaper added about 3" of mulch and 2" of dirt under my ashe junipers to create a planting bed. Several have turned gold/yellowish this winter including a female tree. They are still flexible an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Expanded Shale Availability in Austin Area March 18, 2016 Where can you find expanded shale in bulk or bag in the Austin area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growing Osage Orange in Caliche in Austin October 23, 2015 Does Osage Orange tree grow in caliche? Do nurseries carry it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Oyster Shell source in Austin September 18, 2015 Hi, I was not sure who to reach out to, but I work for Quality Seafood here in Austin, and we have several gardeners who take our old oyster shells and grind them up or put them in their gardens for ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Plants by Soil Type June 17, 2015 Can't find an appropriate place to ask this - would love to be able to search for plants that do best in acidic soil (soil pH) another filter on the search screen. May not be there because the data... 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 |  | |
| Plants for a Shaded Slope in Philadelphia April 17, 2015 I have a small slope along the North side of my house in a suburb of Philadelphia. A small maple tree grows there but most of it gets no sun at all (a large segment is under the tree). I had the soil ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Twenty year old Texas Mountain Laurel isn't blooming. March 09, 2015 I have 20-year-old Texas Mountain Laurel in a fairly poor, clay-type soil. It hasn't bloomed very well the last couple years. Can you recommend a fertilizer to improve the blooms? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need suggestions for planting trees in poor soils in Austin, TX February 27, 2015 Due to the clay soils and poor drainage in East Austin, what ornamental trees do you normally suggest? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Turf grass for a sandy site in central Texas February 16, 2015 I want to plant grass over an old sand volleyball court in our back yard in Bastrop, Texas. What is the best way to go? Adding top soil and buffalo grass seed or try St. Augustine? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need fast growing deciduous trees for Austin, TX February 14, 2015 We'd like to plant several fast growing deciduous trees in a full sun yard with a hard alkaline soil in the western edge of Travis Heights in South Austin. I've noted several locations in our neighb... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Converting a Texas backyard to grow Xerophytic native plants January 09, 2015 I am planning the conversion of our backyard, about 4000 sq ft of largely St Augustine, into a grassless landscape of hardscaping and native plants. I’ve been an avid gardener of rock garden plants i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Calcium from Eggshells for Ferns? December 15, 2014 I was reading recently about beneficial additions to the soil/plant. The first was about soaking used egg shells overnight and then pouring the water onto ferns. They said that the calcium in eggshell... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Restoring disturbed land in Marshall, TX. December 04, 2014 I have a 30 acre tract of land in Marshall, Texas. The oil company has turned 2-3 acres surrounding the rig into gravel. I would like to return the gravel area to green space. Any suggestions on gras... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Nitrogen Fixing plants for Austin Texas September 22, 2014 I recently saw a piece on Central Texas Gardener recommending winter covers to fix nitrogen such as elbow rye, hairy vetch, and crimson clover. Can you recommend a native plant that will grow through... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Stress on Goldenball leadtrees from Austin June 07, 2014 I know of two separate instances where young Goldenball Lead Trees (leucena retusa) have shown symptoms of defoliation and a bleeding of white sap from sores that have developed on the bark. The first... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problem garden strip in Austin May 22, 2014 Currently I live in the west half of a duplex. There is a small strip of dirt about two feet wide between the wall and the sidewalk in the backyard. It faces west, meaning it only gets sunlight duri... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How does Habiturf spread from Walburg TX May 19, 2014 How does HabitTurf spread? - by seed only? - when/how often must you let it go to seed to insure a permanent stand? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Chlorotic Texas Mountain Laurel in Benson, Arizona May 04, 2014 I've planted a Texas Mountain Laurel in heavy clay soil in Arizona. It's been in place for 3 years and flowers each spring. However it's leaves are a shade of medium, yellowish green nothing like t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Replacing hawthorn bush with muhly grass from Plano TX April 10, 2014 I am thinking of replacing a hawthorn bush with a muhly grass plant or two in an edged area with river rock cover in Plano, texas. It is the black soil and not a sandy loam. We have a sprinkler syst... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting Mountain Laurel grown from seeds in Argentina April 09, 2014 Hello, I was transferred to Cordoba, Argentina 2 years ago from San Antonio, the climate hereis similar to S. TX, anyway I brought some mountain laurel seeds with me and they have been in 2 gallon pot... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant mistakes from Cedar Park, TX April 09, 2014 At our "Wilts End" in Cedar Park, TX. and are looking for a tall shrub/tree that will hide a 6-ft tall concrete wall and muffle the noise from a busy street. The wall forms a very wide-angled V shap... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Disagreement with HOA on raised beds placed beneath mature oak from Tequesta FL April 05, 2014 I have mature 30 year old oak trees on my property and I put a raised bed under each with very good soil and I used pavers for retaining the soil about about 1.5 ft high. I planted a perennial begonia... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| topic | question | |