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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| 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 |  | |
| Shrub for Shady Austin, Texas Backyard July 11, 2016 I am looking for a colorful shrub or bush for my drab backyard in Austin. It won't get much sun and I want something native that detracts bugs if possible. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Drought Resistant Privacy Screen for North Side of Austin Texas House July 10, 2016 We live in the densely populated Mueller development, where there's barely 3 feet from our home to the 6 foot high privacy fence between us and the house next door. Since the houses are 2 stories, we ... 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 |  | |
| Plants Needed for a Shaded, Rocky Slope in Alabama July 06, 2016 I live in Alabama where the soil is clay and rocky. I've tried planting on a rocky slope I have but, it's also shaded. Not even Juniper will survive on this slope. I've spent thousands of dollars tryi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Perennials for Dry Shade in NM July 06, 2016 I live in Edgewood, NM at an elevation of about 7,200 ft. It is very dry here and it can get below zero (rarely) in the winter. I have some areas under cedar trees where I have had difficulty gettin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shade Shrubs for a NJ Slope June 27, 2016 I live in central NJ and have a 15' shaded slope behind my home with a creek on the bottom. The slope erodes a little every year and I want to plant native plants on the slope to stop the erosion. Wha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why doesn't my Rusty blackhead bloom? April 10, 2016 I have planted Rusty blackhaws the past several years..some bloomed the first year and every year since....and others 3 years old have not bloomed yet... Do all Rusty blackhaws bloom eventually or ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| mixed species privacy hedge in Central Texas March 24, 2016 I need to plant a privacy hedge along a fence line. I am in east Austin, blackland prairie soil. The soil is rich, usually at least moist but not soggy, and I find lots of worms when I dig. The fen... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ground cover plants for a shady North Carolina yard March 20, 2016 Ground cover erosion control for heavily shaded area in Cary, North Carolina. Current landscapers use strong blowers for leaf control. This blows away any seeds, loose soil and mulch. Tree roots ar... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How much shade will Thunder Turf (Habiturf) take? March 20, 2016 How much shade will Thunder Turf take? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shade and Drought Tolerant Plants for Idaho Shade March 18, 2016 I am looking for plants native to Idaho and/or the surrounding region (zone 6 or 7) that would do well in full shade conditions (adjacent to the north side of our house) and meet several criteria: Max... 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 | ||
| Shade, Heat, Drought and Acidic Soil Tolerant Perennials for Las Vegas? November 28, 2015 What can I grow under my pine trees that is shade and heat (and acidity) tolerant? I live in Las Vegas, NV and would like perennials to plant under my pine trees. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ground cover for a Texas dog run November 02, 2015 What ground cover do you recommend for a residential dog run located under a pergola in high limestone soil at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen shrub for Austin TX shade October 24, 2015 I live in Austin, TX. I'm looking for a 4 season shrub for a partially shaded area that gets about 3 hours of sun towards the evening. It's mostly partially shaded. 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 |  | |
| 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 |  | |
| Connecticut Plants for a Steep Slope September 09, 2015 I am looking for the best plants to retain a steep, dry, fully shaded slope in zone 5, Connecticut. It must be deer resistant. Plant height is not a factor. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Erosion controlling plants for a shady Minnesota lakeside August 11, 2015 I live about 50 yards from a lake and there is a steep embankment. Recently someone decided to cut the trees off the embankment and now the dirt is eroding off the embankment as well as off my back ya... 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 | ||
| Growing Green milkweed vine from seed July 29, 2015 I was given some seed for the pearl milkweed vine which I intend to plant, but I can find no information on whether to stratify or scarify them or just plant them. I know some milkweeds require strati... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Replacement for Love Grass in Michigan July 27, 2015 need a replacement for Love Grass at Shops of Willow Bend in Plano. The entire perimeter of this mall has Bermuda and Love Grass. The Elms and Oaks have grown so the Love Grass is mostly gone. Ther... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Drought and Shade tolerant plants for Wichita Falls, TX July 24, 2015 I can find lots of information about planting drought tolerant, sun loving native plants, a number of which I've planted over the years. But I can find very little information about drought tolerant ... 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 |  | |
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