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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| Growing Texas mountain laurel in a pot March 07, 2016 I have a really good friend who Mom pass away just recently and they were the best of friends. She loved her mother dearly and did tons of stuff together. Recently I posted a picture of a Mountain L... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Making a raised garden bed in Texas October 25, 2015 I just bought a house in Ft Worth Texas and the soil is undisturbed red clay. I was told I probably would need to build a raised bed to make a 25 ft by 4-6 ft butterfly/humming bird/bee native flower ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to prune a Lantana tree October 02, 2015 I have a potted Lantana tree that will come indoors for the winter. It is quite large and should I prune it back for the winter? If yes, how do I prune it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Plant for Containers in Delaware June 23, 2015 I live on the East Coast. I have a large covered porch that only gets some afternoon sun. I have tried full sun, partial sun and shade plants, and had no luck with them thriving. Can you recommend any... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Container Plants for Lubbock, Texas June 22, 2015 Hello! I am looking for plants suitable for container gardening for a west facing porch in Lubbock. Plants need to be super tough to endure the baking sun, constant wind, dry air, extreme temperatures... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Plants for a Shaded Patio Container in Missouri April 17, 2015 What kind of native plants would grow well in a pot on a fully shaded patio? I live in Kansas City, Missouri. The patio faces north and doesn't get any direct sunlight, but it gets lots of indirect... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need suggestions for material to build a raised bed garden February 13, 2015 I am starting a raised bed garden but cannot find untreated railroad ties or landscape timbers. Does anyone have a source in the Austin or Dripping Springs area? I have tried McCoys, Home Depot, Natur... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shady Container Plant for Austin August 20, 2014 I am looking for a tall plant/small shrub/ornamental grass for a very large pot that is placed against the north wall of our Austin home. That spot gets some morning sun in the summer, but virtually ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Leaves dropping from a potted Mesquite August 11, 2014 I have a Prosopis pubescens (Screwbean Mesquite) that I purchased at a nursery in Alpine, TX just a few miles away from me. It was a in nursery style black plastic container. The mesquite is perhaps a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vine for trellis in Brooklyn, New York June 11, 2014 Hello, I am looking for a native vine to grow on a trellis in a large container. I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the area is in part shade. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Container plant in difficult sun exposure from Leander TX June 06, 2014 HELP!!!! I have a large Mexican terracotta pot on my front porch. This awkward area is facing westward, so receives the full dose of Texas sun after about 3 pm onward. Now here's the catch; my fr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Hanging Baskets for Batson, TX May 23, 2014 What plants can I put in hanging baskets for my shady porch? 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 |  | |
| Hanging plants for Austin, TX May 18, 2014 I'm looking for a hanging potted flower suggestion for Austin. Most locations are shaded under a large tree, but some locations may have several hours of afternoon sun. I'd love to see some hummin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Type of clumping bamboo for outdoor planters from Plano TX March 25, 2014 What type of clumping bamboo can be grown outdoors in planters in Dallas,TX? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hanging container for west-facing house in Austin TX March 03, 2014 I'd like to put a hanging container in front of my house. The front of my house faces west and gets very hot in the summer time, with full sun in the afternoon/evening. What native Texan plants could... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Use of non-native pothos for outside wall from Las Vegas NV January 05, 2014 I am in Las Vegas, NV. I live in a cottage-style apartment so I have a north facing porch with no one on the west so I get some there (and have an inherited cactus probably a yard all round) I would ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Container plant for poolside in Southern California November 24, 2013 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants- PROBLEM: Southern CA,-- FOUR 10gal containers poolside, FULL SUN all day in summer. Had Phormiums that did well for 4 years. Didn't make it through this summer:-( Need something... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing Texas wildflowers indoors for a March wedding from Austin October 01, 2013 I have learned so much from this site! Thank you! I am getting Married this March and I am hoping to use Texas wildflowers for the centerpieces. I hope to grow them in containers indoors and have the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wintering Purple Coneflowers in pots in Springfield MO August 26, 2013 I have some 8 month old purple cone flowers in containers on my porch. They did not bloom this summer because they were seedlings when given to me. I can not put them in the ground. How can I keep the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Large-scale container garden for New York City August 17, 2013 I am a community volunteer in NYC who is trying to help a non-profit set up two large container gardens (about 3 feet high by 4 feet long by 2 or so feet wide). The problem is that they want natives,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Arborvitae for house plant from Austin August 15, 2013 I am a Northerner transplanted to Austin, TX. While I love Austin it feels like many of the plants & trees I came to love up north won't grow here at all. Could I grow an arborvitae in my home as a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing conditions for Giant Coneflower from San Antonio August 09, 2013 Rudbeckia maxima is considered to be a perennial plant for the sun but I have had a difficult time maintaining it in a pot in full sun before attempting to plant. Do you feel that it will survive and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for hanging flower boxes from Austin July 27, 2013 I have two long flower boxes 17" x 15" x 25 feet long one on the north side of the apt and one on the south made of metal suspended about four feet from the ground. One will get the morning sun and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for a nursing home resident from LaQuinta CA July 26, 2013 I take care of an elderly woman with dementia. She is in a nursing home and she's always LOVES flowers and plants. Do you have any suggestions for potted outdoor blooming plants for the summer in... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| White specks on unknown houseplant from Ridgeway SC June 20, 2013 I have an unknown houseplant that seems to have some sort of pest or disease on it. It has white snowy specks atop its leaf. I bought this purple fuzzy leafed houseplant from Walmart in Winnsboro, SC ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container plants for part shade in Bee Cave TX June 18, 2013 Dear Mr Smarty Pants, I am looking for plants that will thrive on my covered porch in 3 tall planters. These are meant to help me block an unattractive view out my living room window, so they must... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pill bugs in potted plants in Atlanta GA June 14, 2013 Hello, I repotted four aloe vera plants two days ago with a cacti soil and watered them thoroughly in terra cotta pots according to directions on the bag. Well the next morning the pots had pill bug... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting Texas Persimmon in enclosed planter from San Angelo TX May 23, 2013 I want to plant a Texas Persimmon (in West Texas) in an enclosed planter 4' X 4' X 2.5' deep. What would be a good planting medium. Does it need to be deeper? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planter boxes on a roof deck in Boston MA May 20, 2013 What will grow in planter boxes on a roof deck in Boston ma? We are planning to make our own planters to sit on the framing "outside" our deck rail. We have 4 ft from the rail to the edge of the ho... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native and invasive bamboos from Staten Island, NY May 19, 2013 Hi I put some black Bamboo and some bias Bamboo in a large container about 6ft by 2ft and ht 18 inches .How can I get this Bamboo to thrive ? Suggestions on types of plant food or fertilizer or ant t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container plants for Yakima WA May 11, 2013 My condo complex has purchased large, pottery pots for around our pool. I need to choose low maintenance plants. hopefully something that takes limited water, etc. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for indoor container gardening from Lax Vegas NV May 10, 2013 What is an good flower to grow in a pot? I live in a apt., and like roses,tulips etc. if that helps any. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yellowing fern houseplants from Lancaster PA April 10, 2013 I have fern houseplants about 9 to 12 months old and they are turning yellow. I don't overwater and they get good light. They are growing well but I don't understand the yellowing and falling off! ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Containerized honeysuckle for Dassel MN April 05, 2013 We are renting our house but I would like to enjoy my own honeysuckle. Can they be planted in a big pot so that I can take it with me when we move. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowering evergreen plant for ceramic pot April 02, 2013 I have a deep ceramic pot that I would like to put in a flowering evergreen plant or bush. It is on the deck facing west but with north and south exposure and afternoon sun. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native container plants from Hillsdale NJ March 22, 2013 Looking for suggestions for the easiest natives to grow in containers. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Hot Sunny Planter Suggestions for Florida March 05, 2013 We have a large, raised, concrete planter (about 15' L x 2' W) separating us from our condo neighbor in Clearwater, FL. We would like suggestions for shrubs that tolerate full sun and hot conditions... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Small tree for Northern California backyard March 05, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I'm looking for a small tree for backyard (west side of house). I'm replacing a Calif.Laurel which is not doing well because it is planted on a downward slope and gets too m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Indoor plants for El Paso TX January 05, 2013 I want to know what kind of plants will survive indoors in El Paso. It is so dry here, is there anything leafy or flowery that will thrive indoors in this climate? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Texas native shade plants for metal troughs in Austin December 22, 2012 Interested in finding Texas natives that would do well in metal troughs in the shade. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting horsetail indoors from Collierville TN November 12, 2012 I would like to plant horsetail indoors. Can it handle the inside? Will it try to go dormant or it that a temperature trigger which means it will not go dormant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Winter plants for windowbox in Piedmont SC October 26, 2012 What kind of outdoor window box spruss can grow in upstate South Carolina in the winter months? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Suitable container plants for Austin October 23, 2012 Hi, I see some info on native house plants, but not much. I live in an apartment that doesn't get much direct sun (maybe 2 hours a day) -- is there anything for me native-wise (Austin) if I have to h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smog-eating plants from Ft. Worth TX September 30, 2012 Looking for a list (40 >) of Native Texas Plants for Fort Worth Urban (Condo) that are Drought tolerant or (drip irr) and Fragrant and long blooming and eat up the city smog. Fort Worth is in a non-at... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vine for planter box in Berkeley CA September 29, 2012 I live in Berkeley, CA and want to plant a vine to crawl up a trellis on my deck. It gets sun most of the day. I need to use planter boxes because there is only patio below and would like something ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Cedar sage not blooming in pots in Austin September 14, 2012 I have cedar sage (salvia roemeriana) in containers on a dappled-shade apartment patio in Austin, TX. This is their first season here, transplanted in May (it's now September). All the plants have be... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting Texas Mountain Laurel to transplant to Dallas August 29, 2012 My daughter would like to incorporate a tree planting ceremony in her wedding in Texas. The seedling would be planted in a pot for a few years and later transplanted in a yard when they buy a home. Wo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for big pots by pool in Austin August 14, 2012 Could you please suggest some plants to put in big pots out by my pool? They will get lots of heat and sun. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Gregg's mistflower in pot from Vail AZ August 04, 2012 I recently bought a Gregg's Mist plant and don't know much about it. I live in Arizona and was wondering how well the plant will do if I plant it in a large ceramic pot? Will it continue to grow? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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