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.
Search Smarty Plants
| topic | question | |
| Weed Laws March 20, 2004 Help! My neighborhood wants to mow down my native landscape! Can you suggest a resource regarding city regulations and native plant landscaping? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Ways to learn more about native plants of region March 20, 2004 How can I learn more about the native plants of my region? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Endangered Plants March 20, 2004 What is an endangered plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| White Bluebonnets March 15, 2004 Are white Bluebonnets rare? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Get started in native plant landscaping March 15, 2004 How do I get started in native plant landscaping? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Invasive Plants March 15, 2004 How can I find out if a plant is federally listed as an invasive? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Visit Texas to see the Bluebonnets March 14, 2004 When is a good time to visit Texas to see the Bluebonnets? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Bluebonnets and the law March 14, 2004 Is it illegal to pick Bluebonnets? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Baby Butts in Bluebonnets March 14, 2004 Do photo sessions in the Bluebonnet patch cause harm to the plants? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Strangling Bluebonnets March 14, 2004 I have some Bluebonnets that are being strangled by some strange rope-like plant. What’s going on here? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Help! The deer are eating my landscape. March 14, 2004 Help! The deer are eating my landscape. Is there anything I can plant that they won’t eat? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| When is a good time to visit the Center March 14, 2004 When is a good time to visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to see the wildflowers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Illegal to pick wildflowers March 14, 2004 Is it illegal to pick wildflowers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why use native plants March 14, 2004 Why use native plants? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plant landscaping March 14, 2004 How does native plant landscaping differ from xeriscaping? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native flowers and plants for meadow in North Carolina March 02, 2004 I live in Rock Hill, SC, just south of Charlotte, NC. I would like to have recommendations for planting native flowers and plants in a small meadow in my backyard. Do you have any suggestions or kno... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native flowers and plants for landscaping in March in Austin February 18, 2004 What are the best flowers and plants to landscape with in the Austin area in March? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Resources on advisability of using native plants in landscaping February 13, 2004 I'm a member of the Williamson County NPSOT. It came to our attention recently that the city of Georgetown is considering trying to be "friendlier" to native and natural landscaping. At this point ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information on non-native, invasive pampas grass February 12, 2004 Our neighborhood is doing a community landscaping project and pampas grass has been suggested. Is there a good article related to invasives that specifically mention pampas grass? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on seed sources February 03, 2004 I'm trying to find a source to buy seed or plants of rose gentian (Sabatia angularis). Do you know a source for seed or plants? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants wildflower gardens January 08, 2004 I want to plant a wildflower garden but I live in NC And I want My garden to be in bloom all year what types of wildflowers will stay in bloom all year and do I have to import them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of skunk cabbage December 18, 2003 Where can I purchase root stock for a start of skunk cabbage to plant? in my wetland? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Survivability of plants after freeze December 08, 2003 I have many beautiful plants that froze. Some were Lantana, Hummingbird Bush, Candlestick Trees, Esperanza, Some flowers, and Marigolds. I love all of my plants and flowers and I want them to grow bac... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Daily water absorption of live oak from soil December 04, 2003 How much water does the live oak absorb from the soil per day? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Mixture of native grasses as opposed to buffalo grass monoculture November 26, 2003 My husband and I just built our home on Lake Travis. Our lot is very rocky and is on the side of a hill. We would like to plant something on the incline at the front of our home that doesn't need a l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Optimum mowing time for acreage with spring wildflowers November 17, 2003 I have several acres where wildflowers grow in the spring, & would like to know when and how often to mow this field for optimum blooms? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sources for native plants wholesale in Boston, MA October 31, 2003 My professor and I are looking for a list of native plant wholesale nurseries in the Boston, MA region. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sources of native grasses and forbs seeds for Hidalgo and Maverick Cos. October 31, 2003 I work for TPWD and am working with some irrigation districts in South Texas, trying to get them to plant native grasses and forbs in their ROWs rather than exotic grasses recommended by TxDOT. Can y... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on endangered Texas wildflowers September 05, 2003 We are interested in including a list of endangered Texas wildflowers in our garden club yearbook. Can you provide such a list? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on daylilies July 29, 2003 I have a number of Daylilies that are rapidly multiplying in my flower bed. If I relocate some of them to the field behind my house, will they crowd out the native wildflowers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| More on bluebonnets May 09, 2003 When can I harvest my Bluebonnets? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Definition of a weed April 22, 2003 What is your definition of a weed? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wildflower driving tours April 07, 2003 Where can I learn about wildflower driving tours in the hill country area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How common is white blooming Mountain Laurel April 01, 2003 Is white blooming Mountain Laurel common? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| More on bluebonnets April 01, 2003 Is there such a thing as a red bluebonnet? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Stage of maturity for redbud trees bloom April 01, 2003 At what stage of maturity will Redbud trees bloom? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| List of native plants for landscaping in Nashville, TN March 18, 2003 Can you provide a list of plants that I can landscape with in Nashville, Tennessee? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| More on bluebonnets March 14, 2003 How did the bluebonnet get its name? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| More on bluebonnets March 10, 2003 Clover has taken over and just about covered the Bluebonnets. Is there any way of removing the clover such as with fertilizer or something else? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Starting program for growing wildflowers on highways in Dallas March 04, 2003 How can I start a planting program to grow wildflowers along the interstate and highways where I live? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information on creating and maintaining a meadow February 27, 2003 Would you please share information about creating and maintaining a meadow? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source of wildflower seeds indigenous to Dallas area February 21, 2003 Where can I get wild flower seed indigenous to the N. Texas (Dallas) area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on epiphytes February 20, 2003 Can you identify the "air plants" that are hanging in the trees? They are grayish-green, and hang down like a necklace. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Plants for New England February 18, 2003 Can you assist me in finding more information on flowers and plants in Massachusetts and New England? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plant education February 18, 2003 Do you provide resources about native plants to middle school educators? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Jurisdiction regarding roadsides January 31, 2003 Who has jurisdiction regarding the seeding of wildflowers along Texas interstates? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| When the bluebonnets bloom January 31, 2003 Can you tell me when the bluebonnets are in bloom? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Creating a wildlife refuge January 30, 2003 We would like to make my yard more of a wildlife refuge by using a portion of the lawn for plants and shrubs and may afford shelter for birds and other wildlife. Can you please recommend what we shoul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| More on bluebonnets January 22, 2003 Do you have a sense of a peak viewing time for Bluebonnets for this spring? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Best preparation time for wildflower garden for summer January 21, 2003 Is it too late in late Fall to prepare a wildflower garden for next spring/summer? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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