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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Shade Tolerant Groundcover for Texas July 13, 2016 I live in Atascosa county in Pleasanton Texas, I have an abundance of Live Oak and Ash trees shading my property and need a groundcover for my backyard which is nothing but sand and where I have dogs ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plants for a moist, shady spot in central Texas July 08, 2016 I am looking for a plant that will grow in almost full shade with plenty of moisture along a fence. We are looking at putting down some flagstone with possibly some moss growing in between, but we don... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Grass Groundcover for Georgia Hillside July 07, 2016 I am looking for a grass to cover a hillside area down to a lake. It is mostly sunny in the spring & summer, but has no moisture except any rain that falls. I am not interested in having to mow it all... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcover for Maryland Slope in Deer Country July 03, 2016 I have a 20-30% grade hill in Maryland. I am looking for a groundcover plant (for example ivy) that I can plant on the hill. I have the following issues: clay soil, deer, full sun, limited water sourc... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcover for sunny slope in Minnesota May 24, 2016 Hi, I'm from Apple Valley, MN. We backyard has large slope areas that get sun through out the day. We have huge weed and buck thorn problem. Can you please suggest a good ground covering plant that gr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Fast Growing Groundcovers for Long Island March 18, 2016 Can you please suggest a few fast growing groundcovers suitable for the south shore of Long Island? The area is fairly sunny and dry. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Ground covers for a shady spot in central Texas February 23, 2016 I reside in Austin, Texas and need advice on my xeriscaping project. Portions of my front yard have always been a challenge to get grass to grow, so I have xeriscaped that area with Fairland Pink gran... 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 | ||
Vinca as a groundcover February 11, 2016 Someone told me that Vinca would be a great ground cover for my very large mostly shaded area. How can I establish it and where can I get it? Thanks in advance. 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 | ||
Straggler Daisy as a Groundcover in Salado, TX October 30, 2015 I've identified Straggler Daisy or Horseherb as the plant to cover my 20 x 40 partly shady partly sunny lot. Could you provide me with the best method for starting and growing the plant to ensure it ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Creekside Groundcover for Upstate New York October 22, 2015 I live in Upstate New York in Rochester. Our winters can have lows of -10 at night at times. I have 1,300 linear feet of creekside land that seniors can view from their homes. Because of the brush, it... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Finding a source of Straggler daisy October 14, 2015 I've decided on Straggler daisy but am having trouble finding it. It would be perfect for me. Do I have to wait until next Spring for it to show up? Can it be ordered through a nursery or a landscape... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Evergreen for sunny, dry area under a maple in Connecticut October 10, 2015 I have a sloped, very sunny, dry area under a maple. I was wondering if Sweet Fern would be a likely candidate for this area. I would like it to be evergreen and to be able to survive under mounds of... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Does Calyptocarpus vialis (Horseherb) compete with turf grasses October 05, 2015 For my yard in central Austin Does horse herb, Calyptocarpus vialis help or damage the growth of native short grasses? The grasses include Curly Mesquite and Blue Gamma planted early in the spring or... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Low, Easy Care Perennials for Lake Ontario Shore Planting October 04, 2015 I'm on Lake Ontario in New York. I have a lake bank slope, that’s about 1/8 mile long and about 40 feet high, and is on about a 40 degree angle. It is very hard to keep clear. The bank has just been ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Low Groundcovers for Pennsylvania September 18, 2015 Hi Mr Smarty Plants, I'm looking for a low growing grass or ground cover for an area that is between my neighbors horse fence and mine it is about 2 feet wide 30 ft long. It is impossible to mow and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcover for Shade in Spicewood September 16, 2015 We live in Spicewood area in Austin, TX. Our front yard is yellow almost all summer, I was thinking of replacing lawn with a ground cover which can live on once a week sprinkler and no mowing. Also th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Where to find Horseherb seed August 02, 2015 I would like to purchase some Horseherb seeds. Can you tell me where I can do that? Either locally or on line. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Lawn for a Shady & Wet area in Austin, TX July 22, 2015 We have a drainage area that has appeared in our back yard since the neighbors’ homes were built. When we get heavy rains (like this year) all their drainage flows into our back yard and forms a river... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcover Planting in Shiro TX July 09, 2015 I have been collecting seeds from White Avens and Texas Sedge to use as ground covers. What is the optimal time to plant these seeds? We have been experiencing heavy rains in our area lately, so I am ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcovers to choke out invasive species in Virginia June 08, 2015 My yard has open woods and dappled light with clay soil. Thirty years ago we removed huge briars and since English Ivy was getting in by itself, we thought we would let it come; unfortunately, it not ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcover for shady slope in clay soil May 20, 2015 I need to stop erosion on a very shady, sloping side of my house. It is cly soil. We drive our rider mower over it to get to the grassy area in our yard. What perennial ground over might work? Thank... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Planting Garry Oak in Kinnikinnick in WA May 09, 2015 I want to plant a Garry Oak tree in my backyard in an area currently covered in kinnikinnick planted by the previous homeowner. The kinnikinnick covers a large area - about 10 feet in diameter. Even... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Finding a manzanita species suitable for Fort Worth, TX April 28, 2015 Which manzanita shrub would thrive best in the Fort Worth, Tx. area? I was thinking of planting it in a large pot. Thank You! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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