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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| Mistake in propagation of Mustang grapes from Victoria TX July 27, 2013 I didn't read first! I planted dried mustang grape seeds in good potting soil, watered and put on tall clear plastic bags to retain moisture, will they ever come up? Should I get the seed out and r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Trumpet Vine Dropping Buds July 25, 2013 My trumpet vine is dropping its buds before flowering. This happened last year as well. Do you know what is causing this and what I can do to prevent it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Deer Resistant Vine for California July 24, 2013 What can I plant to cover a retaining wall in Redwood City, CA that will grow down on it (no dirt below) that deer will not eat? I have just about given up. I have tried jasmine and Gelsemium and regu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Bignonia capreolata (Crossvine) known to cause skin irritation July 23, 2013 Is Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata L.) known to cause a rash? We are trying to identify the source of a rash-after-gardening, and have not seen any of the big three (poison ivy, poison oak, poison suma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Eliminating evasive Celastrus orbiculatus (Oriental bittersweet) July 21, 2013 I have Oriental Bittersweet growing pervasively in my shrub garden, strangling my shrubs and growing into my beautiful Victorian porch. I can't keep up with it! What can I do? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Climbing vines that are deer resistant July 12, 2013 Please find plants that are climbing vines and are deer resistant View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vine for full sun in Las Vegas NV July 05, 2013 Looking for vine to thrive in full sun in Las Vegas, NV. I tried Cape Honeysuckle and Star Jasmine and both died within 5 days. The leaves were burnt. What's your suggestion? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing non-native Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Central Texas July 01, 2013 Hi. I recently moved into a remodeled home in Taylor, TX, and have experimented with Cabernet Savignon vines before. I have a 1/2 acre and a chain-link fence I want to put vines on. (I have a book o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Poison Ivy in Semi-wetland Massachusetts June 27, 2013 You answered this question for Tennessee, but I would like an answer for a Massachusetts semi-wetlands area: What can I plant to discourage poison ivy, or at least make it very clear that it is poison... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Full Sun, Wind-Tolerant Shrubs and Vines for Steep MN Hillside June 26, 2013 My neighbor and I share a very steep, large (in total almost 200 ft. wide) west-facing hillside in Excelsior, MN on Lake Minnetonka. We both have a flat grass area at the bottom so the hillside does n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vines for fence in Bentonville, Arkansas June 12, 2013 I have about 600 LF of 8ft high chain link fence I would like to grow vines on in Northwest Arkansas for screening. I would like some to cover quickly but be maintenance friendly. I heard alternating ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-floweriing vines not poisonous to dogs from Pittsburgh PA June 10, 2013 Are there any vines or crawlers (nothing that flowers) that are non poisonous to dogs? Everything I am finding is poisonous, I want to plant some vines up a chain link fence around a swimming pool. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vines non-poisonous to dogs from Madison WI June 09, 2013 Are there any vines or crawlers that are non poisonous to dogs? Everything I am finding is poisonous, I want to plant some vines up a fence on their kennel run. 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 | ||
| Vine for Patio Wall in D.C. June 03, 2013 I have a concrete patio wall 4 feet tall and 9 feet long in Washington, D.C. The wall runs east to west and there is a patio above it. I am looking for vines to cover it so that I would not have to lo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Climbing Vine for Illinois That is Non-Toxic to Dogs May 31, 2013 I am looking for a climbing vine hardy in Illinois (zone 5) that it non-toxic to dogs. Can you help? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native pothos ivy from Houston May 30, 2013 My pothos devils ivy is about 5 years old and grows outside. A couple of years ago its leaves became spectacularly large, like 12" wide and its stalk about 1 - 2" wide. A couple of years ago i gui... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for pergola in Lubbock TX May 29, 2013 I need suggestions of plants, vines, bushes to plant in my backyard near my wooden pergola that will work well in full sun in Lubbock, TX. Ideally, I'd like some that attract hummingbirds and provide... 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 |  | |
| Fruit crops to grow in Tennessee mountains May 27, 2013 My property has a lot of rock formations throughout it and has hundreds of cedars where it is not pasture. I am wanting to grow fruit trees and berry bushes but don't know what can grow in this e... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native, invasive creeping fig in Webster TX May 26, 2013 We've recently moved into a new home in the southeast Houston area. The back of our property has a long concrete wall (gets quite a bit of sun), which we thought we could cover with a spreading vine.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of thorny vine in Michigan May 21, 2013 We have a species growing around our rural SW Michigan property that I'm trying to identify: I either see stalks up to 3 ft tall, or much longer vines if they find anchor. The most notable characte... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are berries of coral honeysuckle edible from Lufkin TX May 21, 2013 Are the berries of coral honeysuckle edible? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native Star Jasmine poisonous to dogs from Dallas May 20, 2013 Is star jasmine poisonous to dogs? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Will Virginia creeper harm brick walls in Las Vegas NM May 19, 2013 Will Virginia creeper harm brick walls in Las Vegas, New Mexico? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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