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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| Spot for communion and tree planting on Long Island February 20, 2012 I'm planning to combine my son's communion and a tree planting memorial for his uncle/godfather that passed on Valentine's Day. I'm looking for a venue on Long Island that can combine both on May ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need a 2-4 ft shrub for the shady NW side of the house in Austin, TX February 07, 2012 I am looking for a 2-4 ft tall shrub or hedge to plant along the NW side of my house, which is shaded by a live oak. This area doesn't get any direct sun. I wondered if a row of Winter Gem Boxwoods ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Trees to replace some non-native invasives in Deltona FL February 02, 2012 I would like to replace 3 large ChinaBerry & 3 large Chinese Tallow trees in my good sized back yard with some local wildlife friendly trees native to the Deltona area(first area.) What do you recomme... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Reducing Allergens in Yards and Gardens January 31, 2012 What are some allergen-free native plants to Central Texas that thrive in the soil and can survive in the weather? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of bushes with red berries in Tennessee January 31, 2012 I was recently traveling thru Clarksville, TN and saw these bushes (at the shopping mall) that had clusters of small red berries on them. They were not a Holly that I know of. The leaves were not th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trees and shrubs turning brown in Dripping Springs TX October 31, 2011 Due to the extended drought - a number of trees and shrubs in our Dripping Springs area property have turned brown. Specifically: Live Oak; Agarita; Ash Juniper; Cedar Elm. Is this a dormant stag... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Replacing non-native boxwood in Austin October 03, 2011 I have a large maze garden, possibly boxwood, originally planted in the 1950's, in Austin, Texas. About 1/3 of it has died out, probably due to drought, heat and age. Should I attempt to replant ju... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pest damage to Yaupon shrubs in Austin, TX September 18, 2011 I have noticed pest damage in our 4 ft. yaupon. There are circular holes eaten on 90% of the leaf growth. Trunk & branches look untouched and healthy. Could this be leafminers? How can I care for it?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need shrubs to plant alongside a swimming pool in Tampa, FL. September 05, 2011 I Have a 3 1/2 foot gap between my pool screen and back fence. This gap runs about 30 ft. long. I would like to place small trees to look beautiful and to grow 6-8 ft. high to screen out my neighbor... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| More information on Malvavaceae from French botanical garden September 04, 2011 hello thanks for the reply in your garden all of yours Malvaceae interested us but priority for this species could you help us ? regards Fabrice Absous Allowissadula holosericea Bastardia ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tall screening tree for Santa Barbara, California August 20, 2011 Hi, we live in Santa Barbara, California. We are looking for a tree between 20-30 feet high to block the neighbors two-story house yet the area we have to plant is 3 feet from the fence to the drivewa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Savannah Holly poisonous to burn in Hanahan, SC.? August 20, 2011 Can you please tell me if the wood from a savannah holly bush is poisonous to burn? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Newly planted Burford Holly doing poorly in Austin, TX. July 25, 2011 About a month ago I bought dwarf burford holly. Now they have slowly started getting brown leaves that eventually fall off. Some of the plants have white spots on the ends. I usually check my plant... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eliminating a briar vine in American holly July 22, 2011 I have a wild vine (I was told it is a type of briar) living on my place. The root nest is like a potato. I have dug them up, I have sprayed them and I still am plagued with them. I have a beautiful A... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Leaves on yaupon holly turning brown/black July 20, 2011 Arlington TX Yaupon Holly has leaves on stems closer to the bottom of the plant and moving up that are turning brown/black. Is this a disease, over/under watering? There is black gummy soil, but it ha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen for privacy in PA July 18, 2011 We need to plant a privacy/sound barrier hedge/hedgerow and my husband says it must be evergreen. I am not familiar with which species would be native to our area and I just don't trust those big sto... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need suggestions for alternatives for Crape Myrtle in Washington, DC. July 15, 2011 What can you recommend as native alternatives to the shorter (garden-sized) crape myrtle cultivars? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why do my Possumhaw Holly berries fall of in the summer in Euless, TX? June 28, 2011 My possumhaw holly has LOTS of green berries in the spring but they fall off in summer, so that I have only a handful of red berries in the winter. What is going wrong? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What's attacking my Nellie Stevens Holly plants in Iredell, TX? June 27, 2011 I just bought 10 Nellie R. Stevens holly bushes and planted them as a screen. The leaves on some of the plants are at least half white - not yellow but white. Apparently they were like that when I b... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shady shrubs for an ugly fence in New Jersey. June 23, 2011 What type of tree or shrub can I plant in 07747 NJ to cover an ugly fence that gets little or no sun. Thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Keeping deer away from non-native plants in Lansing MI June 22, 2011 What is the real - best way to keep deer from eating my Hostas, Garden phlox and lilies? Ive tried the stinky spray and the fertilizer granules that deter, to no avail. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs for a fenceline in NY June 16, 2011 Need to replace shrubs along a fence. Currently have Honeysuckle and they are very old. Would like to have something different with more color & interest during winter months. The line of shrubs are h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plant from Tennessee June 06, 2011 I was trying to find the identity of a plant my Grandmother grew around her house in West Tennessee. It was a nonflowering plant, about 12-24 in tall, had thornless leaves similar in shape to holly l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Something killing evergreens on Long Island from Baldwin NY June 06, 2011 What seems to be killing so many of the evergreens on Long Island - see more and more dying each day - doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason - can it be helped? Many thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen Deck Plant for Oregon May 29, 2011 Need evergreen shrub to grow in shade in container 5ft tall for deck. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs to grow in a narrow area no taller than 3 ft. in Cadiz, KY. May 27, 2011 I need to plant shrubs in a narrow area between my house and sidewalk. I have a low porch so I want the shrub to grow no taller than 3 ft. What do you recommend? It is in full sun. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Replacing Nandina with natives for a schoolyard in Washington DC May 11, 2011 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Our schoolyard now has some invasive plants in the landscaping that we would like to replace with native plants. We have four clumps of Nandina planted at each pillar along a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs for a screen in DC May 05, 2011 Live in Washington DC vicinity (zones: 7-8). Looking for hardy shrubs to screen a 47 foot long picket fence and provide barrier to neighbor. It is western exposure with sun light. Ideally evergreen, d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is it live oak sprouts or parasites from Austin April 30, 2011 You must get tired of questions about "Live Oak sprouts." I just read your recent Q&A about this. But I'm getting mixed info about whether the "sprouts" are actually Live Oak growth of some sort ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How do I save my recently transplanted yaupon holly? April 20, 2011 Recently transplanted (two weeks ago) a yaupon holly tree from one part of the yard to another. Leaves are beginning to turn yellow and fall. What can be done to save this plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Chlorotic leaves on yaupon in Austin April 04, 2011 My yaupon holly looks chlorotic, it is 7 years old, I do not feed it, just a little seaweed occasionally. I am a totally organic gardener. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possibility of growing a Lacey Oak in Katy, TX April 04, 2011 I live in Katy, TX - west of Houston and would like to place a Lacey Oak tree in my yard. We enjoyed this tree in our former home south of Dallas - and I understand it does better in alkaline soils; ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Re-landscaping neglected garden in Franklin CT April 03, 2011 I am starting from scratch in a yard that has no planting beds or, for that matter, plants at all. House was vacant for quite some time, grass was three feet tall when we moved in. I would like to p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs for planting under hollies in DC April 01, 2011 I would like shrub suggestions for planting under holly trees. I live in Washington, DC and have 2 very well-established large holly trees (2 story tall trees) in the front of our house, facing north... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Yaupon Invasive in the Austin Area? March 24, 2011 Is Yaupon Holly invasive in the Austin area? Should we be removing it from our yards and/or greenbelt spaces? Thanks for your input! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Various holly hybrids or selections for Pflugerville TX March 24, 2011 I love Savannah Hollies. I used them all the time in the Dallas area. Now that I have moved to Austin, I am wondering if I can plant them in this area. I have a soil pH of 7 and drainage is moderate. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Deer Damage to Pencil Holly in Michigan March 15, 2011 I have 5 sky pencil holly bushes that are about 3 feet tall each..they don't grow very fast. I was looking forward to them reaching the 7 feet mark one day, as they are going to serve as a screen be... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hedge plantings for Flower Mound, TX March 14, 2011 Need to cover ~ 1000 linear feet with a thick hedge plant that will be ~ 8-15 ft tall, 8-12ft wide, fast growing, evergreen, drought resistant. Live in Flower Mound Tx. Researching on Red tip Photinia... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Screening trees for PA March 13, 2011 We are looking to plant some privacy trees in back of our home. Since our neighbor is directly behind us but we don't want to plant something distasteful to our neighbor. Do you have a recommendation... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rooting hybrid Savannah Holly from cuttings from Gainesville FL March 04, 2011 I need instructions on rooting the Savannah Holly from cuttings. I understand that seedlings will not be true to the parent..is this true? Please help. What type of soil mix should I use? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of native plants by seed in Round Rock TX February 26, 2011 I'm trying to include more native and adapted low water use plants in the landscaping of my yard in Round Rock Texas. Due to a limited budget I've been collecting seeds from plants around the area ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Adventitious sprouts from Live Oak in Dallas February 26, 2011 How do I kill Holly growing in my yard? I have a Live Oak tree growing in my Bermuda grass lawn. The holly grows under the tree from the trunk extending out about 12-15 ft. It grows right in with the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need evergreen, drought tolerant shrubs to plant next to driveway along property line in Austin, TX. February 23, 2011 Just moved to Austin, TX. What evergreen, drought tolerant shrubs could I plant by driveway, full sun, next to neighbors lawn. I don't want to mow, space is 3.5 ft. wide by 15ft. long. I thought ab... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Screen for utility box in Seabrook TX February 21, 2011 Utility box cover: Thinking of using star jasmine on a three sided fence/trellis. Each side 3 ft sq. I can send a picture. Not sure best fence style to use or way to plant. Suggestions? Need cove... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Looking for plants for a privacy hedge, besides Ficus nitida, in Norco CA. February 02, 2011 I am looking to plant a hedge for privacy along my property line. We have horses so I need to make sure that what I plant is not toxic. Would Ficus nitida 'Little Gem' be a good choice? I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| French Provincial Garden using Natives January 31, 2011 I am designing a French provincial garden near Waco Lake, I am looking for some native shrubs and ornamental grasses to augment the myriad of lavender, roses, and lilies in the proposed design. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Deer-resistant plants for Williams, OR January 24, 2011 I live in Williams, Oregon. I would like a listing of deer resistant, drought tolerant,evergreen, fast growing, native plants that can be used as a privacy screen on property perimeter. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Origin of name of hybrid Ilex x attenuata December 11, 2010 Could you please tell me where Eagleson, or also called Eagleston Holly got its name ? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen Hedge for Austin November 28, 2010 Hello, We live in Austin and have a yard that is almost fully shaded. We have a few burford holly bushes there, but would like to add some evergreen interest. We would love a tall hedge (around 8 ft... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Further question on sprouts from holly tree in Surprise AZ November 16, 2010 Thank you Barbara Medford for your response to my question about the sprouting holly tree in Surprise AZ. I took for granted that the tree I was talking about was a holly tree. I looked at pictures of... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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