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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| Obtaining Agave parryi in Cherryville NC May 11, 2011 I live in western North Carolina and I had a friend that had a Agave parryi that bloomed about 1 year ago and of course it died. Since i saw the beautiful agave I have wanted one, but no one in my are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Agave with large stem growing May 01, 2011 It is a large stem growing from my agave plant in the middle of it. It looks scary and ugly, what is it? Is it poisonous? Is it rare? It gets taller and taller everyday, what to cut it. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Blue agave with freeze damage in Lockhart TX March 16, 2011 I recently planted a blue agave plant, and 4 days after I planted it the temperature dropped to 20 degrees at night. The plants are still alive but 75% of the outer limbs turned brown. What do I do wi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need advice about an agave that didn't survive the winter in Myrtle Beach, NC. March 09, 2011 I live in Myrtle Beach, S.C. bought an agave big last summer and it died in the winter. Some green is showing on the bottom should I cut it all down because the whole top is dead. Thank you View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Loss of agaves to freezing weather in Austin March 04, 2011 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: I live in Austin and lost all my agaves in the subfreezing weather this winter. Around town, I've noticed some agaves that seemed to tolerate the cold just fine and other tha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Freeze damage on Barrel Cactus in Llano TX March 04, 2011 I believe my barrel cactus has freeze damage. The flesh turned yellow and is now turning dark. The base is still green. If I cut off the damaged top portion, leaving the green base, should it survive?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing Variegated Century Plants in Portugal February 09, 2011 Hello Mr. Smarty Plants, I am contacting you from Portugal, because of century plant(Agave americana). I had one of that plants and I collected the seeds, which I planted, but I am quite disappointed ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Scale on Agave attenuata from Melbourne, Australia January 27, 2011 I have an agave attenuata in a pot. It has been attacked by scales. I have been spraying it every 3-4 days at night with a chemical sold to me by the local gardening store. It's not helping and I am... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Lesions on Agave Leaves in Spring Branch, Texas January 14, 2011 I have a giant Agave americana that was beautiful until recently. Several of the leaves have lesions, some of them quite drastic, on the last third of the leaf. What is causing this? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Reasons to leave a century plant in place in Florida November 01, 2010 Can you please list ALL the reasons to leave a century plant (as opposed to cutting it way back or removing it) in the wilds of the sand dunes on the coast of Florida, other than its prominent beauty? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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