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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| topic | question | |
| Why Did Gaillardia and Aquilegia Changed Color? June 26, 2013 Both a Gaillardia pulchella and two red columbines bloomed normally last summer, but this summer the Gaillardia's petals are all yellow and one columbine is white and the other is yellow. What caused... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowering plant for gravesite in Weatherford TX June 23, 2013 I want to plant flowering plant of some kind at parent's grave site in Weatherford, TX. The family cemetery is on a limestone hill with no irrigation or ability to water other than nature. Would on... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for Frostweed plants or seeds from Portland TX June 23, 2013 I am looking for somewhere I can buy Frostweed plants or seeds. I live in Portland, TX, but frequent San Antonio and the Hill Country. Can you help me with this? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Seeding success with Penstemon cobaea from Austin June 18, 2013 I've never had much luck in harvesting seeds from foxgloves (Penstemon cobaea, I think). Whenever I open the seed casing, the seeds inside are covered with some kind of mold. What's going on, and ho... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Germinating Hibiscus martianus, Heartleaf hibiscus June 11, 2013 Is there some secret to getting Heart Leaf Hibiscus to germinate from seed? I have tried several times, but have had no luck getting them to germinate. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to graft muscadines? June 07, 2013 I have tried for the last two years, grafting my perfect muscadines to the native non-bearing vines. I have tried every method available to no avail. I usually get two or three leaves, then wilt and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Proliferation of Small Palafoxia in Dallas Co. TX June 07, 2013 A few years ago I noticed a new wildflower I hadn't seen before in the southwest Dallas County area. I found the name to be Small Palafoxia. It was growing along the edges of HWy 67 in Duncanville ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Blooming but not berrying American bittersweet from Pendleton IN May 29, 2013 I have had a bittersweet plant for years, it blooms but not berries. How do I tell if it is male or female so I can buy the opposite? It is currently blooming. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Scarifying seeds of evergreen sumacs from Lockhart TX May 19, 2013 Dear Smarty Plants, We would like to grow our own evergreen sumacs. Consulting Nokes book, How to Grow Native Plants on page 310, it says to scarify fresh uncleaned seeds for 30-45 minutes. On page... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Failure to bloom of one of two Texas persimmons from Wimberly TX May 04, 2013 Last year my son planted two texas persimmon trees. One is blooming ok this year and the other is not. It does not seem dead. What can I do or is is in fact dying? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Lilies not blooming from Austin May 03, 2013 Last December 8, you published a letter in the Statesman that I had written to you regarding Rain Lilies, Oxblood Lilies, and Copper Lilies. The were sprouting in my garage in a bag. You recommended... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Spreading bluebonnets in pasture from Ledbetter TX April 29, 2013 I've found a small patch of bluebonnets in my back pasture in Ledbetter, tx. What is the best method of encouraging their spread across the pasture? I've heard that one can pull up the plants and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Loss of bloom stalk on Yucca filamentosa from Scotch Plains NJ April 27, 2013 We have 3 Yucca filamentosa L. planted together, in NJ. A friend of ours was helping to remove the weeds, little did she know and removed the blooming stalk from the plants. By the time I saw, it was ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Sharing Selfheal with Texas Friends April 25, 2013 I have discovered selfheal plants in my yard. When and how do I collect the seeds or do I just dig up plants to share with friends? I understand this is actually an herb. I love identifying wildflower... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Protecting agave pups in San Antonio April 23, 2013 I would like to share the soon to happen bloom of two century plants on my property; they are sisters planted at the same time. I am sad to know they will die but will do all that I can to protect the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Century Plant April 20, 2013 I have a century plant that has just begun to bloom. I have a transplanted a few pups, successfully. I am wondering how I am to go about removing the mother plant once it blooms and dies. I'm reading... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting Eve's Necklace from Round Mountain TX April 16, 2013 We have dozens of small Eve's necklace plants coming up in our large yard. I would like to share them with my friends who aren't so lucky. Many years ago, I tried to transplant one, and it didn't... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants purchased at Duke Gardens From Durham NC April 09, 2013 I went to the plant sale at a local garden this week and bought some very small plants. I am happy to wait for plants to grow but wondered if I need to do anything special. I live in Durham NC and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native turkscap failing to thrive in Shiro TX March 19, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Two years ago I transplanted several native (not cultivars) Drummond's turkscaps in the proximity of water oaks in the front yard. All get shade and some sun. They seemed to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Lack of Fruit on Forestiera March 17, 2013 I have not been able to get berry production on my elbow bush. I have male and female plants. Is it possible to help with the pollination process? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What to do with agave after it blooms from Phoenix AZ March 12, 2013 Hello! I have 2 century plants in the process of blooming. How exciting!! I've never really seen it before. Anyway, what do I then do with the dying/dead plant. Simply dig it up and trash it? T... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Edibility of non-native garlic sprouts from Brancburg, NJ March 12, 2013 I have regular garlic in my refrigerator. It had sprouts growing out of it so I put it in a cup of water. Now that the stems are large enough to put in food, my question is.. Is that part of the garl... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Starting Antelope Horn Milkweed Seeds March 08, 2013 I recently found a sealed plastic bag containing milkweed seeds in a cabinet drawer that I had gathered more than a year ago, (maybe two years ago). These are the "antelope horn" milkweed I think it... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of Texas sage from Bastrop, TX March 01, 2013 Am I wasting my time trying to transplant texas sage runners? Any advice? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Saving frozen yuccas from North Carolina February 23, 2013 I live in NC and have 2 potted yucca plants on my deck. Every year I have brought them in for the winter. This year, someone told us that we could leave them out all winter. They began to die in the c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for dotted blue-eyed grass from Saluda SC February 23, 2013 I lived in Texas for several years and now live on acreage in South Carolina. I have heard that bluebonnets don't grow well in South Carolina. However, there is a place by the road near our house t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pollinating Pawpaws February 06, 2013 We have many good sized pawpaw trees in our area but they never bear any fruit. I've checked them at different times in the fall over the years but no fruit. Someone told me that the flowers were po... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Poppies for a wedding in August from Highlands Ranch CO February 04, 2013 Are poppies available to buy for weddings in August in Colorado? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wildflower garden with Castilleja indivisa (Indian paintbrush) January 08, 2013 I want to start a wildflower garden in my front/backyard. Specifically, I would like to include the indian paintbrush. What is the best way to go about this? Straight in the ground, containers, etc... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Starting yucca from seed from Austin December 24, 2012 I would like to start a soft leaf yucca recurvifolia from seed. Is that possible? Also, I've looked for seed on dried flower stalks, and I'm not sure that what I'm finding is the seed, and I ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of Chandler's craglily from San Marcos TX December 16, 2012 Can you please advise me on collecting and propagating seed from Chandler’s craglily -Echeandia chandleri. I have 2 plants that came from the wildflower center. They never seem to multiply, but they d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of wax myrtle from Lafayette LA December 10, 2012 Hello, I have a good portion of Wax Myrtle Seeds. How do I get them Started for planting? Have been told to put several seeds in a Jar lid in a very damp paper-towel & leave them there till they ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of Tournefortia volubilis December 07, 2012 I am a State Park Host at Estero Llano Grande SP in Weslaco, TX and am looking for information on the Tournefortia volubilis, Googly-eyed vine. I would like to know if there is a best method for propa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of rain, oxblood, and copper lily bulbs November 30, 2012 I have Rain Lily, Oxblood Lily, and Copper Lily bulbs out of the ground, that are putting out some green growth. I would like to plant them soon. Is it okay to plant now and in December, or do I hav... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Male pollinator to produce berries on Juniperus virginiana from Amston CT November 08, 2012 We have planted 3 juniperus virginiana 'Glauca' (on our Connecticut property) that have a few blue berries on them. Will they need a male pollinator to make berries? We do not have other juniperus... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting a young lilac November 05, 2012 This past spring I planted a hybrid lilac in the ground. The weather here has started to get cold, and much more so at night. Also, the temperatures go from warm to cold and back again as if unsure wh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Junipers for restoring area in Bulverde TX November 03, 2012 Are ashe or virginiana junipers for sale around the hill country? I would like to recreate the natural plant life that was bulldozed next to my home. Do you recommend any other types of juniper that ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dogwoods cross-pollinating from Snyder, CO October 24, 2012 I have a red twig and a yellow twig dogwood. Will they cross-pollinate to produce berries? Thank you View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for seeds of New Mexico locust from Abilene TX October 23, 2012 Is there a place to buy Robinia neomexicana native to Texas or order seed from Texas grown plants? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can lantana be grown in British Columbia from Vernon BC October 20, 2012 Can I grow lantana in Vernon B.C. Canada? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Keeping a Texas Madrone alive from Belton TX October 01, 2012 I have found a supplier of a Texas Madrone and have been wanting to grow one ever since our family vacation to Big Bend NP. My question is how do you have success with this tree? Many people say it is... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dying branches on Texas Mountain Laurel from Kempner TX September 14, 2012 The branches on my Texas Mountain Laurel are very dry and brittle. The leaves are also starting to die. The tree has been in my yard for six years and prior to that it sat wrapped in burlap for ov... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Varieties of Ceanothus suitable for Illinois September 07, 2012 Ceanothus Velutinus is the smell of western Montana, my home, to me, and I have relocated to Illinois. I miss it so much that whenever I go home I bring back a jar of ceanothis leaves and keep th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Moving plants for extreme drought from Greencastle IN August 23, 2012 In exceptional drought here in Indiana, I am looking at weeds that may become my next perennials! How do I move what my dad called ragged robins from the edges of roads. They are blue and could be wil... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| White flowering mountain laurel from Driftwood TX August 23, 2012 I love white flowering mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) and want to grow one from seeds. I've had a lot of success germinating and growing purple mountain laurel from seeds (or beans), so I DO ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing butterfly weed as a girl scout project July 30, 2012 We have a group of girl scouts who want to sell 'crafts' at a farmers market. I am wanting to steer the moms and girls in a different direction. I was wondering if you think that butterfly weed woul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Bluebonnet rosettes in July from Austin July 30, 2012 Dear Mr S.P.: Please solve my bluebonnet summer mystery! I established about 1500 sq feet of bluebonnets starting four years ago by scavenging seeds here and there and just scattering in the sprin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Accurate bloom time for Mistflower from Spring TX July 25, 2012 Regarding Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum): Your site lists July to November as blooming time, while Wildflowers of Texas (Agilvsgi, Shearer Publishing, 2003) and Native Texas Plants (Wasowski, Lo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need tips for planting wildflower seeds in pots in Edinburg, TX. July 22, 2012 Can you give me some tips for starting wildflower seeds in pots or trays, rather than outdoors? Is this even possible? Most instructions I have found are for seeding large areas. I want to get some p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with chile pequin from Pflugerville TX July 19, 2012 Hello there! I have a question about my chile pequin (Capsicum annuum L.) plant. I purchased it last year from the Wildflower Center Fall Plant Sale. It stayed in a pot until three months ago when I p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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