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.
Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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 | |
| 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 | ||
| Care for heritage roses October 07, 2007 Dear Mr. SmartyPlants, I took some cuttings from an antique rose my grandmother had.I had good luck , had some of them grow for me. Some of them have blooms and others are long and lanky stems but n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs with berries for birds and growing small red oak tree September 16, 2007 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Recently, I saw a short article about attracting birds to one's yard. The article said to plant "berry-bearing" shrubs, but didn't name any specific shrubs. Could you tell... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possibility of Amyris madrensis or Amyris texana growing in Dallas September 07, 2007 I live in the central city of Dallas, in the heart of the urban heat island (zone 8b). I am interested in Amyris madrensis and A. texensis. Will they survive winter here? Would they make a good eve... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native landscape in Central Austin September 02, 2007 We live in Central Austin and are landscaping part of yard. We planted a 30 gallon red oak tree, built sizeable beds around it and want to complete the landscaping with native grasses, shrubs, climbin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cool, wet summer effect on evergreen sumac August 28, 2007 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I have 3 evergreen sumac bushes that I planted as a screen between my house and my neighbors two years ago. They are located in a part of our yard that receives a lot of runof... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of eleagnus-like shrub August 21, 2007 There is a plant on our land I can't identify. It has a tree-like smooth light gray "trunk", with leaves similar to an eleagnus (grayish green and rough on top, lighter underneath). I can't find... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of mystery shrub in West Virginia August 13, 2007 Hi, my husband and I purchased some land to build a home. After we dug out the driveway a large shrub or tree started growing in the altered dirt that I have never seen and I don't know what it is. I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Protection of American beautyberry in Pennsylvania July 30, 2007 I have had a beauty berry 2 years now. I trim it back in early spring and it returns beautifully. ...but no flowers this year and it's almost August. Last year, very few berries. Can you help? I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Overwatering and fertilization of whiteleaf manzanita July 27, 2007 Hi, I have an Arctostaphylos Dr. Hurd, southern California coast, several years old, 10 feet, that has a few large branches with yellowing and spotted leaves... also dropping many. causes? remedy? sh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Blue plants or flowers in Baltimore, MD July 27, 2007 I have a taxi company in the city called Bluecab. The headquarters is in an industrial area and the soil is tough and well, industrial. There will be no watering or maintenance done. Looks like a car ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplant shock in Vacccinum corymbosum (highbush blueberry) June 28, 2007 Blueberry plants - We planted Northland and Blue Crop, 2 of each. All 4 plants have some leaves that are turning brown. This starts at the tip of the leaf, eventually encompasses the entire leaf, a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for dry conditions and clay soils in Georgia June 25, 2007 I need a bush or plant that I can plant next to a creek that requires no maintenance to cover exposed roots and underbrush caused by rushing water whenever the creeks rises with large downpours. We b... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vascular wilt in Rhus virens June 22, 2007 Hi Smarty: Our evergreen sumac grew beautifully this spring (it is about 2 years old -- we got it at the LBJ Wildflower Center plant sale). Then its leaves suddenly drooped last month (May) and turn... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Effective plant cover for utility boxes June 15, 2007 In Connecticut, we have utility boxes for underground electricity and cable located in front of our house. The builder has landscaped around them: first with rhododendrons and then azaleas and both ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Stem canker or leaf fungus in Morella cerifera June 14, 2007 Dear Mr.Smarty Pants: The upper half of our wax myrtle, which we had allowed (with artful pruning) to reach about ten feet suddenly died this spring (it dropped most of its leaves and didn't sprout... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Coexistence of rubus trivialis and American beautyberry May 28, 2007 I'm growing some rubus trivialis in a 1-gal. pot and plan to plant it this fall. Will this dewberry coexist with American beautyberry, or must it have its own space entirely? If it needs its own sp... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of small shrub May 27, 2007 Need an identity of a small bush, probably native . There is only a single limb sticking out of a large dense evergreen holly. It is deciduous, has opposite ovate entire simple leaves, and clusters o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small native evergreen shrubs for North Carolina May 17, 2007 I live in zone 7 and need miniature shrub to go in flower bed situated in full sun. I love gardenias but afraid the intensity of the sun might be too much. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Recommendations for native plants for Dallas Co., TX May 12, 2007 Looking for a Recommendation: Can you suggest a plant that meets the following requirements? ENVIRONMENT -- - I live in Garland, in Dallas County, TX. - The soil is primarily clay. - Full sun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Acidity of soil for blueberry plants May 11, 2007 We have 8 blueberry plants and we have just taken out several Juniper shrubs. How will this effect the acidity of the soil for the blueberries? Do we need to add more acidity? We heard that the junipe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Desert or littleleaf sumac (Rhus microphylla) on Texas State Capitol grounds May 07, 2007 I am trying to find out what kinds of plants are planted on the Texas State Capitol Grounds. There is a bush that grows around the Capitol Extension windows area and I don't know what they are. The... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native evergreen shrub for Dallas May 03, 2007 Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in Dallas and I am trying to look for a native evergreen shrub that blooms and works well in full to partial sun. I thought about "lantana" and/or a "firecracker", but... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for heavy clay soil in east Austin May 02, 2007 I live in East Austin and have very thick clay soil on my property. I also have a lot of shade and partial sun/shade. Can you suggest some native plant varieties that are well-adapted to these condi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Reason for decline of Morella cerifera (wax myrtle) in Virginia March 30, 2007 We have Wax Myrtle bushes in our back yard. They were about 2 feet tall when planted 2 years ago and now are about 7-8 feet tall. The leaves have turned brown and are dropping essentially denuding the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen shrubs native to North Georgia March 26, 2007 I am looking for native plants (shrubs) that will stay green during the winter in North Georgia. We are completing a xeriscape landscape plan as a demonstration site and have many native plants donate... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mechanism for Cenizo bush blooming before rain October 04, 2006 Why does cenizo (aka barometer bush) bloom before it rains? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| topic | question | |