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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| Keeping bonsai plants alive in Athol MA September 21, 2009 For the past 12 years I have raised bonsai plants in AL and FL, but recently moved back to central MA. My collections consists of Japanese maples, ginkos, bald cypress and ficus benjamina. I have a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for a New York, NY apartment? August 14, 2009 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, What are some native Mid-Atlantic/New England plants that can be grown well indoors? I live in an apartment in New York City and have recently realised that the plants I'v... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why do the leaves of my potted Esperanza plant look droopy? August 13, 2009 My Esperanza plant leaves look droopy. I have it in a big pot and have for 3 years. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Texas native plants in an indoor space in Dallas July 31, 2009 Is there a native Texas plant that would be suited for an indoor application, such as large planters in a lobby space? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Container native plants for New York area June 10, 2009 I live near Lake Ontario (zip 14098). Would like to know what to plant in window boxes that have southern exposure and are in direct sun 4-6 hrs a day View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container plants for deck in Maine May 18, 2009 I live on the ocean in Maine. Fourth floor deck. I want to plant containers and boxes with annuals that can withstand a lot of wind. We get mostly sun but some shade as well. Of course, there is the s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container plants for terrace in New York City April 25, 2009 What flowering plants would you recommend that will grow well on a 16th floor terrace ,with all day sun in NYC? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bluebonnets in pots in New Caney, TX April 25, 2009 My mother in New Caney (Texas), would like to plant Bluebonnets in some lovely terra cotta containers on her porch (and will hopefully mail me some dried pressings of my beloved state flower). Other t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for low light in Houston April 21, 2009 I moved from a home in New Jersey to an apartment in Houston, TX -inside court - low light. I can't keep houseplants alive., What do you recommend that I try here? Both inside the apartment and on ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container plants for Dallas, TX March 28, 2009 I need help with container plants that can endure being out in the full sun and don't need a lot of maintenance. I would prefer something that is about 2-3' at its height and has a rounded shape. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for planting in gourds March 15, 2009 I enjoy painting dried gourds. This spring I got the idea to paint a gourd and cut holes in the side and plant some small blooming flowers. I have seen "hen and chickens" growing out of holes in the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Do plants grow faster in natural or artificial light? March 13, 2009 Do you think plants will grow faster in natural light or artificial light or a combination of both? And why do you think that. and need your answer for my biology project please and thank you for your... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container plants for pool area in Killeen TX March 08, 2009 We live in Central Texas (Killeen). We want to put some container plants around our pool. (backyard with pool is all cement). We want some larger stuff, like maybe bamboo, elephant ears, etc. What pla... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container plants for Bucks County, PA February 18, 2009 I live in Bucks County, PA and I would like to have a garden, but do not have a green thumb. Which plants come back each year that survive in large pots. Are daisies also a good choice for my garden... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen plants with showy flowers for pots in Central Texas January 14, 2009 I'm looking for evergreen plants with showy flowers suitable for Central Texas. Plants need to do well in pots.. they will be planted in flower boxes in my very sunny porch. thanks!!! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant that can move from outside to inside for Denton, TX December 14, 2008 I am looking for a plant that is either native to Texas or is well acclimated to the Denton TX area that can move from a covered outside area to an adjacent indoor area behind large glass walls, to a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care for indoor Lemon Cypress November 30, 2008 How do I care for an indoor Lemon Cypress tree? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small area native plant gardening for an apartment November 14, 2008 Mr.Smarty, We live in an apartment and are fortunate to have a small area, 5'x5', and so want color! Here in Houston the winters don't freeze much and the summers are HOT. Luckily, we are in the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Indoor lantana tree dropping leaves November 06, 2008 I purchased a lantana tree,a lantana hybrid that is only tolerant to 32 degrees. We are zone 5 so I brought it indoors and it only gets the morning sun, and 85%of the leaves have fallen off. The leav... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Overwintering a Juncus effusus in Great Neck, NY October 23, 2008 Can I over winter a juncus effusus spiralis indoors or must it be kept outdoors? Whether indoors or outdoors, what is the proper way to keep it alive during the winter months? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Potting soil used in Wildflower Center nursery October 23, 2008 I recently purchased several beautiful little plants at your Fall plant sale and notice how very happy and healthy they all are! Please tell me if you mix your own potting soil and what your potting ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Holding an Acer rubrum in a container for two years October 10, 2008 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I am thinking about ordering a Red Maple tree that is cultivated from Mount Vernon. I appreciate the historic nature of such a tree. The tree will be shipped to me and is ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container gardening for pool in southern California October 08, 2008 I have large planters around pool would like to know what plants to use that will not grow to high or to big and will not have large roots home located in camarillo ca. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for pots outdoors in winter in Virginia October 02, 2008 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I was wondering what plants would be best to grow outdoors, in pots, in Virginia, in the winter? This is a lot of restrictions but we just need 2-3 plants for our office pati... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure to thrive of closet plant August 13, 2008 I have a closet plant that is old and was doing fine and then started having droopy leaves. It needed to be in a larger pot so I transplanted into a larger pot with new potting soil. It continues to... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Regulations for transporting plants to Texas from Florida July 29, 2008 We are relocating to TX from FL, I have a collection of potted palm trees and quite a few potted tropical plants (none are invasive)that I would like to bring with us, we will be traveling by car and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure to thrive of potted blue-green cypress July 26, 2008 I received a small 14" potted blue-green cypress for Christmas 2007. Kept it in a bright window, not direct sun. It was doing great until two weeks ago when it started turning brown from the center. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure of potted verbena to bloom July 20, 2008 I have a trailing purple verbena that won't bloom. It is in a container, not in the ground, and gets lots of sun. What is the problem? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Blossom fall after rain on Polystachys lutea, Shrimp Lollipop July 17, 2008 I live in San Antonio and had previously bought shrimp lollipop plants and after the rain we had recently all the blooms fell off. So my question is did it die or should I just leave it alone? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growing Plumeria in Ohio July 15, 2008 Can I grow plumeria in Ohio? We were in Hawaii this past week and I brought two plants home to try to grow. Thanks a bunch. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure of Gerbera daisies in hanging basket July 08, 2008 I had perennial Gerbera daisies in a hanging basket, the flowers died,I was not sure whether to remove just the flower or to go from the flower to the stem at the plants main stem? There is nothing re... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Darkened leaves on blueberry bush July 02, 2008 I have a blueberry bush planted in a very large pot. It has been doing very well, producing berries and new growth. All of a sudden the leaves have begun to turn dark. I have it potted in good soil... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mites in soil of house plants June 25, 2008 Hi there! I recently noticed tiny silver mites in the soil of my plants that I only notice after watering. These plants are indoors in on a window ledge (a dwarf palm, aloe plant and Hawaiian Scheffle... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Disappearing oranges from Satsuma orange in Austin June 25, 2008 I had many tiny future oranges on my Satsuma Orange Tree until a few days ago. Suddenly, all were gone except one. They weren't on the ground and the tree itself seems incredibly healthy. It is gr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Decline of indoor lemon cypress June 25, 2008 I received a lemon cypress as a gift. I have kept it indoors in bright light and tried to keep it moist. When I received the plant the foliage was soft and now it has become brittle and dry even tho... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for hanging baskets in Abilene June 10, 2008 I live in the DRY West Texas heat in Abilene. I'd like to put some hanging plants along my back fence. Preferably something that would attract butterflies. We have a pool in our back yard and almost ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care of lemon cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) June 09, 2008 How do I care for a Lemon Cypress tree? Does it require a lot of sun? How often should I water it? It is 18" high and I have it in a pot on my screen porch. Thank-you View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Placement of lemon cypress tree in Miami, FL May 25, 2008 Where is the best place to have a lemon cypress tree? indoors or out? Presently in south Miami climate, Scott's potting soil, clay pot, with good drainage. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for pool area in Florida May 09, 2008 My husband and I have a pool with 4 planters and are looking for plants that we can put into our screened in pool area. We live in Central Florida and looking for ideas of plants that are slow growin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sides for raised gardens May 01, 2008 I am wanting to put in raised gardens. What is the best product for the sides? Wood? If so, what kind? Thank you View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for container gardening in Houston April 26, 2008 Hi, we live a townhouse community in Houston, TX and have a decent sized backyard. I plan on devoting part of that to plant some potted flowers which are less than 6 ft tall (we can't plant anything ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for containers April 22, 2008 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I have found the website very helpful, but have a few questions of my own. I recently purchased the winecup plant, phlox and cedar sage perennials. I have planted them in ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possibility of invasiveness of blackberry bush March 27, 2008 I bought a blackberry bush from Home Depot last year. My sister said if I planted it in the ground it would take over my lawn. So I put it in a big planter up against my fence, but I'd like to put it... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for container gardens in Central Texas March 11, 2008 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: I moved to TX last year, for now living in an apartment with a good-size but shady deck; my garden in VA was full of VA native plants. What TX natives, if any, can I grow in ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Containerized citrus foliage deformed January 02, 2008 I have three 2-year old potted grapefruit trees that have recently developed problems with the emergence of new leaves. The new leaves are stunted, deformed, often with wavy edges. Although it did ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care of a sedum indoors December 16, 2007 I have a coworker who has trusted her Sedum Burrito plant into my care because it is not doing well in her office. It appears to need repotting, as it is very crowded in the pot it came in and is dif... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Indoor native container plants for Central Texas December 09, 2007 I like to model the beauty of native plants where ever possible, and would like to have some in my office. Are there any Central TX natives that will survive in an office environment? I do have a bi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Indoor pot plants November 20, 2007 I just moved into a studio apt. where a lot of heat is provided. Do you have a listing of house plants suitable for warm apartments? I have four windows, all with indirect sunlight. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Loss of blooms in potted plants in Hawaii November 11, 2007 My lanai is in strong afternoon sun and no matter what "full sun" plants I try to grow they quickly stop blooming. Plumeria, Hibiscus, Echinacea, even Bougainvillea...they continue to grow but lose... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plectranthus (native of South Africa) winter care and insects September 26, 2007 I was recently given a beautiful plant which is now in a pot in my yard. I live in Rochester, NY and need to know what to do with this plant in the fall. The plant is 'Mona Lavender' Plectranthus p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Choosing large containers (pots) for plants in Dallas, Texas. May 24, 2007 Hi, I was wondering if you could help me pick a plant for a container garden. We live in Dallas, TX. Our soil is very clay, but I thought we could do something fun in containers with sand or something... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting plumereia and bird of paradise palm outside in Austin May 23, 2007 I have a plumeria and a bird of paradise palm in pots that I want to place in the ground. I've seen plumeria's planted in the ground at a house leading to Bryan College Station that seem to have bee... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container Gardening with Texas Native Plants February 10, 2007 I live in an apartment in Austin, Texas and want adorn my balcony with a window box this spring. Could you recommend flowers that I could plant that do not need a lot of space to flourish? Also how ma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for a lizard terrarium October 24, 2006 My brother is setting up a terrarium for his lizard and wants advice on some species to put in the tank. He wants plants that generally fit the below description. Can you think of anything fairly c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Protecting hibiscus from cold in Eastern Washington State July 28, 2006 I recently purchased a Hibiscus Brilliant Red. I planted it in an area of my garden that will give it full sun for most of the day. In the Pacific Northwest where I live (Eastern Washington) it can ge... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting time, either by acorn or container grown tree, of Shumard red oak April 12, 2006 Hello, I have a question on when is the best time to plant shumard red oak. I live in Zone 7. thank you View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care of Florida Blue or Lisiantus in Houston October 24, 2005 I'm in Houston, Texas and I'm growing, for the first time, Florida blues, Eustoma, purple. Since I am from California I'm not familiar with this plant. It's beautiful. How do I care for them i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant Care for Plumeria October 15, 2005 I have a plumeria that is getting too tall for my small patio. How I should cut it back and can start the cuttings into new plants? Does the original plant need any special care when it is cut back? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hearty, bushy native plants for windowboxes in Abilene, TX October 08, 2005 I live in Abilene, Tx and am a horrible gardener. I would love to have window boxes with some sort of hearty bushy plant. Any suggestions, I'm at a total loss...? Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Texas cherry tomato April 24, 2005 We just bought 2 Texas cherry tomato plants at the plant sale. We have to container garden in a walled courtyard due to deer. (Would deer be attracted to the plants in a garden with herbs and high de... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Blue Cohosh April 21, 2005 I acquired a potted plant of Blue Cohosh at a sale. My question is where can I plant it? I live in Seattle but also garden in Zone 5 at Lake Wenatchee Washington. Shade or sun? How hardy is it? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting a container of wildflower seeds in Dallas September 20, 2004 I have purchased a 1 # container of wild flower seeds in North Dallas. When can I throw these seeds in a nearby field, & is it advantageous to do it during a rain? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Container Gardening with Native Plants March 20, 2004 I live in an apartment and I’d like to grow native plants. Will they grow in containers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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