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 | |
| Fast-growing shrub or tree to block dust from dirt road March 15, 2009 I live on a dirt road in Northeast Kansas. Could you recommend a fast growing, low maintenance shrub/bush or small tree that will form a barrier to block the dust from the dirt road? It will be plante... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Texas Mountain Laurel in Florida March 13, 2009 Hi Mr. Smarty, This is more a comment than a question about Barbara Medford's (Estero, FL) question of whether you can grow Texas Mountain Laurel in Ft. Myers, FL. About 4 yrs. ago, I purchased a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| At what age should a Mountain Laurel bloom? March 13, 2009 At what age should a Texas Mountain Laurel bloom? I saw your response about feeding and about how high nitrogen fertilizers can diminish blooms but is there anything that will help, eg. "super bloom... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for backyard in Michigan March 12, 2009 I am an inexperienced gardener but would love to know the best plants/bushes to plant in my backyard. I would love floral and fragrant. I am in Southwest Michigan, near New Buffalo and since this is... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low-maintenance native plants for Arizona March 12, 2009 Will you please suggest some Native plants that can be left without care for the summer and survive - other than cactus? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for screen in Colleyville TX March 12, 2009 My soil is pure sand that goes down as far as I can dig. I am needing native plants to use as a screen, that grow to be 6-10 ft. tall. Also, since my plantings dry out so quickly, would it be helpfu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small shrub to plant in Austin Texas March 11, 2009 Hi.. I live in Southwest Austin and I am looking for a shrub that I can plant against the back of my house, which faces the north. I want something native, fairly low maintenance and not too large,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trimming a rock rose in Richardson TX March 11, 2009 I have a Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)in my garden. I cannot find any information on how to trim or whether I should trim this plant. If so when? Mine is pretty much growing all over the place and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for flower beds in Aledo, TX March 10, 2009 I have 2 beds that together run the length of the house foundation (25' each), we have 2 spots I would like to plant a Yaupon (Pride of Houston) in each spot approximately 2' from the foundation;is ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need help identifying shrub with large thorns in Tennessee. March 10, 2009 A shrub?with very large thorns. Main stock of plant woody with a gray and white splotchy bark at base. Branches are green and shiney and have very large heavy thorns spaced several inches apart on... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Roses or other flowering plants for Coleman, Texas March 10, 2009 I want to plant native roses at a country home in Coleman Co., southern exposure, with well water, drip system,but ,hot, dry & windy! I know the Mutabilis does well in Austin, but, is it suitable for... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Penalty for picking Kalmia latifolia in Pennsylvania March 08, 2009 What if any is the penalty for picking the Mountain Laurel wild flower in Pennsylvania when it is in bloom? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can Calycanthus floridus survive in South Dakota? March 06, 2009 Calycanthus in South Dakota? I've recently purchased some seeds for a calycanthus plant (floridus I think). I'm going to start them indoors but am wondering if this can survive a South Dakota winter... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Roots of Savannah Holly close to house February 26, 2009 I live in Sugar Land and want to plant Savannah Holly at the ends of both sides of the front flowerbed. Are the roots too dangerous to plant so close to the house? (How far from the house should they... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cake decorations with flowers February 25, 2009 Can I decorate a cake with bluebonnets, lavender or mountain laurel blooms? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native roses and other flowering shrubs for Lufkin, Texas February 23, 2009 I would like to know some native blooming shrubs, and roses for my area. I have found that all of the old native plants have a greater success rate. I would like to find a white shrub rose for plant... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low cost landscaping in Federicksburg VA February 22, 2009 Hello, I live in Fredericksburg Va and I rent a townhome with a small yard. My back yard is almost completely mud and my front yard has a hideous square shrub. So my question is do you have any plant ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowering native plants for Bastrop, TX February 20, 2009 What type of flowering plants, trees,and bushes will grow in Bastrop, Texas? I see lots of things around, please help, have never done before. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Book on blueberry bushes in Tennessee February 18, 2009 I'm looking for a book titled "Planting blueberry bushes in Tennessee" by an author I can't remember the name of. Have you heard of this book an do you know where one could find a copy? The autho... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hedge plant for Maui. February 17, 2009 Question: I live in Pukalani, Maui, Hawaii and would like to put a "living fence" around my yard for some privacy. Ideally, I want something that is going to grow fast and about 8+ feet tall for a h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen, flowering hedge shrub for GA. February 12, 2009 Hi, there! I am looking for a shrub for planting as a hedge in Decatur, GA. I have hard acidic clay and I would like an evergreen flowering shrub to line the edges of my backyard to separate it from... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for a condo garden in Decatur GA February 12, 2009 I recently moved into a condo in Decatur (just outside Atlanta). I am now working on the back yard - just a patio and dirt right now. It is a small space and is shaded much of the day but does get s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrub to replace non-native azaleas. February 10, 2009 I want to replace my two dozen azaleas this spring (I think they're unattractive once the flowers fall off). I like the multiseason characteristics of weigela (midnight wine, W&R), but want to go nat... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small shrubs for roof garden in Washington DC February 01, 2009 I am looking for a hardy evergreen shrub for a roof garden in DC. Needs to be 3-4 feet tall, evergreen, dense, survive the extreme wind, cold and heat. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrubs to replace non-native boxwood in Parker County, TX January 31, 2009 I'm looking to replace some Japanese Boxwoods my wife planted years ago with some native plants, they run along the front of our house next to the foundation and porch about 60' in length. I prefer ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for under a fountain splash line in California January 29, 2009 What plants should we plant under our fountain's splash line in our Mediterranean style courtyard? The area will get wet from the fountain's splashing and have "full" sun. We are on a rock ridge... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Drought-resistant plants for Paradise, California January 23, 2009 We are moving to a new home in Paradise, CA. What drought resistant plants do well in Paradise ? Thank you !! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Floristic Quality Assessment program in Texas? January 19, 2009 Do you have knowledge of a Floristic Quality Assessment program for Texas such as the ones used in Indiana and Illinois? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen shrubs for blocking car noise in Austin January 18, 2009 I live on Bee Caves road and was wondering what is the best tree/shrub I could use to block noise from cars? I've seen evergreen mentioned, is this the right one to plant? Also, if there are existing... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Do female possumhaws require male to bloom? January 02, 2009 Do female possumhaws require a male nearby to bloom? I've read that about yaupon hollies, but not possumhaws specifically. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for winter installation in Houston January 01, 2009 What plants can you plant in the winter, Houston, Texas? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Further information on soil pH for growing blueberries December 31, 2008 Thank you for your reponse to my question / comment. You were exactly right about soil pH. Here is what Clemson University Extension has to say about growing blueberries in North and South Carolina.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Narrow, evergreen shrub for privacy December 28, 2008 I live in San Antonio and my backyard is all driveway except for a 2-3' space in front of a 6 ft chain fence. I'd like to find an evergreen narrow shrub for privacy. Would Nandina be a good choice?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrubs for privacy hedge in Lockhart, TX December 21, 2008 I will be retiring from the US Army to Lockhart, Texas in March. We have a small house with a 6' security fence. I have always been an advocate of Hedges for security, sound dampening and wildlife ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Lantanas with brown leaves December 18, 2008 I have several lantana plants here in Austin, TX. They did extremely well all summer long up until our first freeze. It looks like they have all died. Are they just dormant or are they dead? Their lea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Epiphytic or halophytic trees and shrubs December 10, 2008 Hello I was searching on this issue, but couldn't find what I really want, and I would be great full for your assistance. Please could you help me to find the scientific name for the "Trees" or... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native flower bed with part sun December 05, 2008 I have recently put in three small flower beds and replaced the hard clay with decent dirt. The site is shaded in the AM but mostly sun in the PM. I would like to plant natives - what can you recommen... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small white bugs on indoor hibiscus in Ohio November 25, 2008 My Hibiscus has small white bugs on the leaves with small white residue. Looks like very small pieces of white rice. This white rice is also covering the UNOPENED buds and making them fall off. It ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is a Texas Mountain Laurel too messy for swimming pool area? November 24, 2008 Our landscaper has recommended a Texas Mountain Laurel to plant beside our swimming pool. We recently removed Cherry Laurels from the same location because of the mess they made in the pool (especiall... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to plant a gooseberry bush November 22, 2008 Please, if somebody can help, I need to know how to plant the gooseberry bush. Thanks, View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native grasses and shrubs for Houston project November 21, 2008 I am working on a project in Houston. As part of the sustainable approach of the project, I would like to plant native / adaptive, non-invasive grasses and shrubs. It is key that they use little wat... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen native shrubs for hedge in Austin November 20, 2008 Please help! Looking for an inexpensive, fast growing shrub or tree to plant along 200' fence in our backyard. Lots of sun (southwest side) but I wouldn't call it dry. Hoping for something that k... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hedge of native Purple Sage in Austin November 20, 2008 Hi, I would like to plant a dense hedge of Purple Sage that will hopefully grow from 6-8 ' tall and about 4' wide. I purchased the Silverado Sage Leucophyllum frutescens 'Berstar Dwarf' variety.... 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 | ||
| Pale leaves and brown tips on Tecoma stans in Austin November 12, 2008 I have a Tecoma Stans planted in a large galvanized container in a sunny spot. It has grown very fast in the last few months and flowers regularly, but the leaves are pale and the tips are turning bro... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Necessary sun exposure for Eves Necklace November 12, 2008 How little sun can the tree Eve's Necklace receive and still be happy and healthy? I have an intended spot that gets about 3, maybe 4 hours, some of that will be hot afternoon sun in the summer. Th... 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 | ||
| Deer eating creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata) November 04, 2008 We have Creosote Bushes (Larrea tridentata) that grow wild on out 10 acres. The deer eat those plants all year 'round. Probably more in the dry times of the year. Just wanted to let you know that t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| List of Central Texas native shrubs October 28, 2008 Need to find a list of Central Texas native shrubs. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Repotting of lemon cypress for drainage October 26, 2008 Hi, I bought a lemon cypress tree in a nice tin, It is in Plastic and the bottom has about 1.5" of water with no drainage in the plastic or tin. It will be kept inside. Does the plant need to be in... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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