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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| Problems with Eves necklacepods (Styphnolobium affine) March 25, 2008 Mr. S-P, I urgently need your advice regarding two Eve's necklacepods that appear to be dying. They are in two completely different areas of my yard. One began leafing out and then the leaves sh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrub for north window in Austin, TX March 23, 2008 Hello. I am trying to find a native shrub to provide privacy next to a low north-facing window and protection from northerly winds in the winter. I would like to find a shrub with a maximum height o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen native shrubs for poor drainage area in Cedar Hill, TX March 21, 2008 Hi! I have one (big!) bed in on the front of my house. Due to the way the house/motorcourt is built, that area (when it rains as much as it did last year!) doesn't drain well. I now have to replac... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Denying cows access to flowers through fence March 20, 2008 What flowers can I plant that cows will not eat? They stick their heads through the fence and eat anything they can reach. I would like to plant something in the fence row that will not hurt the cows... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for city lot in Longview, TX March 19, 2008 Just bought a city lot in Longview, TX and want to put in some plants at the periphery even before the house is built. Can you recommend any that would be from your list of East TX plants that are pa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants that will grow in clay in North Carolina March 14, 2008 I have a small fenced back yard, predominately hard red clay, that is a major focal point. I am designing my own garden/yard area (to cut cost) and have a list of plants that will grow in this soil w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hardy, inexpensive perennials for Mansfield, TX March 12, 2008 I am trying to fill two flowerbeds that are in full sun mostly and right next to the house. I want something that can live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and is pretty hardy. I also don't want to spe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Different kinds of plants living in subarctic areas March 10, 2008 What are the different kinds of plants live in the subarctic areas? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for memorial garden in Michigan March 04, 2008 I want to start a memorial garden for my daughter. I live in northern Michigan and the area has very tall white pines we have pruned them up about 15' so the area does get partial sun. Which plants w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Improving blooming on mock orange March 03, 2008 I have a now 6 yr. old mock orange shrub in the garden which has never bloomed, darn it. I have fed, not fed, mulched, not mulched, sheared, not sheared. What gives? Will it ever bloom, or shall I ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native trees and shrubs for bloom various times of year February 10, 2008 I live in Southwest Austin and have a garden that spans the length of our back fence. It gets approximately 6 hours of sun. We currently have two trees (which we think are Bradford Pears) and three ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of lantanas safe for use in Florida February 10, 2008 Why do you list lantana camara as a native to the U.S. and as a native plant in Florida? It is a category one invasive exotic on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's list of invasive exotics. La... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants that are deer resistant for high desert climate in Utah January 23, 2008 We are building in a high desert climate in Dammeron Valley, Utah. We want plants that are both deer resistant and require little watering. Can you advise which plants (shrubs, flowers, cacti) that ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Roses being attacked by spider mites January 18, 2008 My roses are being eaten alive by spider mites. I read that this area of Texas has a huge problem with these devils! I've tried everything to kill them to no avail! Can you help me? Gratefully yours,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native landscaping plants for Sherman, Texas December 19, 2007 We are starting from scratch on landscaping our new yard. We live in Sherman, TX and I would like to use plants and flowers that are native to Texas and have a good chance of surviving. What are you... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Curb appeal for sale of house December 16, 2007 Help! We're selling our house soon and need to redo our flowerbeds in the front of the house (facing north, gets partial sunlight throughout the day) in the coming weeks but don't have a clue where... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vines and shrubs for wildlife cover and food December 14, 2007 I own property in Stephens County about 10 miles north of Breckenridge, TX along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. I have 45 acres that is open field and I want to provide cover and food for wildli... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rhododendrons Hydrangeas in Indiana December 13, 2007 I live in very southern Indiana. Our home faces west and at the front of our home I have planted three rhododendrons. The furthest south is growing well the two to the north not so well. All three h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for full-sun landscape November 20, 2007 I live in a very rocky area just outside of Fort Worth, TX. It's taken me all spring, summer & now I'm going into the fall, to landscape just 30 feet in front of my house. The front of the house get... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrub or small tree for hedgerow to block view November 06, 2007 For property in the Post Oak Savanah area of Eastern Texas, north of Bryan, Texas, I would like to plant a native hedgerow to block the view of a neighboring property. Ideally this would be a shrub t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Nutrient imbalance in Tecoma stans October 18, 2007 I have two Tecoma stans on the north-east side of my yard. They have grown very tall (5') but have not bloomed all summer. Last summer they bloomed profusely. Any idea what the problem might be? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Landscaping in the Southern California desert. October 16, 2007 We are located in southern California in Lake Havasu. I'm trying to landscape sloping areas. I have arrow weeds (Pluchea sericea) and want to get rid of them permanently. How can I achieve this or... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Salt from water softener affecting roses. October 12, 2007 I have a water softener at my well and wonder if an accumulation of salt over time is causing problems for my roses. After several years of doing really well the branches turn brown and eventually die... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trimming of Pineapple Sage and Salvia Greggii October 07, 2007 I live in Central Austin. My question is: When is the best time to trim back Pineapple Sage and Salvia Gregii? How far back should these plants be trimmed? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Potting soil recipe for azaleas October 07, 2007 I have a couple of Azaleas in pots that need repotting.I can't remember the recipe for the medium I put them in last time other than pine bark mulch. I think there were three ingredients. What is ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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