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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| Spanish Dagger plant interfering with walkway in Ingram TX April 09, 2010 I have a Spanish Dagger that is now 8 feet tall and about to fall over in a walkway. Due to the danger of these very sharp tips I need to either cut down the plant or try to root in and replant. If ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trimming freeze-damaged Agave Americana in Alvarado TX April 08, 2010 What is the best way to trim Agave Americana cactus? The freeze this winter when it snowed has caused the leaves to die towards the bottom of the plant. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Eradicating cactus in Palo Pinto County, TX March 30, 2010 I live on a ranch in Palo Pinto County and would like to know how can I get rid of wild cactus. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What to do about cold damage to spineless prickly pear? March 05, 2010 In Austin, Texas our 'spineless' prickly pear cactus is about 6' wide by 4' tall. In the last severe freeze, the top half flattened out and has remained that way. Should I cut the flattened pads o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Central Texas plant to grow in cavity in cedar (Juniperus ashei) February 27, 2010 Is there a CenTX native that would be happy in a one-gallon cavity in a Cedar tree? I'd like to disguise an amputated limb. I'd consider a Bromeliad or Staghorn fern, but would prefer a native. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Replanting a blue agave in Rio Rancho NM January 11, 2010 I have acquired a Blue Agave, approximately 4-5 ft high. It still appears quite healthy. It was used over the holiday season for display purposes in a liquor store. Unfortunately, the root ball has be... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Potted crown of thorns cactus cold tolerance in Marble Falls, TX December 02, 2009 I have a large potted crown-of-thorns cactus. Can it remain outside this winter in the Texas Hill Country? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Does the tip of the agave contain poison from Denham Spring LA December 02, 2009 I bent over to pick something up and got stabbed in the head with the point of a agave plant. It is about 15 years old and I measured the point-it is right at an inch long. My head did bleed and it bu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with Agave americana in Comfort TX November 09, 2009 We have lost a huge agave americana and are not able to find out what to do for our others. The one we lost was rotted or eaten (beetles?) at the base and the whole thing just fell over. We have a l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Will a cut back yucca grow back in Lockbourne OH? October 28, 2009 I live in Ohio and recently I cut back all my plants to prepare for winter. I am wondering if my Yuccas will grow back. I cut them to ground level so only a little bit of the leaf is showing. I was... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removal of pups from Century Plant after blooming in Prairieville LA October 03, 2009 Will the main part of the century plant always die after it grows a stalk? I have babies coming off the base and need to know if I should separate them to keep them alive. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting agave in Austin September 22, 2009 I have an 8 foot tall agave (americana?) planted in my front yard. It has been there quite happily for over 20 years. How would I go about transplanting this to another location? Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Moving Century plants in Norwalk CA September 15, 2009 I have two large Century plants that are each 10 1/2 years old. One is 4'x5' tall and wide with about 8-10 small shoots. The smaller in about 3 1/2'x 5' with about 6 shoots. They've grown too l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Plants for erosion control in Pittsburgh, PA August 22, 2009 I have a terraced high side lot(front of house). I currently have Yuccas growing, but they are too invasive. Can you suggest plants, shrubs, or ground covers that are not as invasive and will still ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to prune Opuntia ellisiana in Decatur, GA. August 20, 2009 Hi Mr SP--How do I go about pruning an Opuntia ellisiana? I have saws, newspaper, heavy leather gloves, goggles, etc. But my question is more about what section of the plant to cut. The base has de... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for a New York, NY apartment? August 14, 2009 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, What are some native Mid-Atlantic/New England plants that can be grown well indoors? I live in an apartment in New York City and have recently realised that the plants I'v... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why is my Agave suffering in Mesa, Arizona? August 06, 2009 I live in Mesa AZ, and have an agave that we planted 7 years ago. It grew like crazy with hardly any care whatsoever, until I cut off some of the bottom leaves and 'pups' about a month ago. Recently... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Agave in a vase of water in Tacoma WA July 19, 2009 I have a agave plant that is in a vase of water only. It was given to me about 3 years ago, still growing but rotting inside of the water. Is it suppose to be in dirt? How to I transfer into a pot ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting Agave havardiana in Stella NC July 10, 2009 We have a havard century plant in a large pot outside that has a couple of "baby" plants starting to emerge on the outer perimeter of the plant. Can we sucessfully transplant these babies elsewhere ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Will the blooming stalk of my century plant eventually tip over? Yes June 24, 2009 I have a century plant in bloom. Will the stalk eventually tip over? Would appreciate any Internet references on the subject. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Getting rid of Adams needle (Yucca filamentosa) June 24, 2009 My friend is changing her flower beds around and is wanting to eliminate an Adam's needle that has been there for several years. She has already dug it up and now is trying to get rid of all the new... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dividing and planting Yucca and pups in New Mexico June 23, 2009 I bought a Yucca plant and had 7 plants in one planter 1 large and 6 small. We wanted to split up the plants so we carefully separated them and planted them. My soil is very sandy (Rio Rancho) but I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why are the leaves of my century plants yellowing? June 22, 2009 I am taking care of the Agaves (century plants) for my condo community here in Austin. They are planted in 18" or 20" pots. A couple of the plants have leaves that are yellowing around the bottom.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Life span of the century plant (Agave spp.) June 17, 2009 I have a beautiful century plant that is blooming. what will happen once the bloom is done? What is the life span of the plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Agave americana/Century Plant care and life cycle. June 10, 2009 How often do century plants bloom? Do you have info on how to care for them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Topmost leaves on yucca are brown June 08, 2009 I live in the Lansing, Michigan area, in the lower peninsula and have a couple yuccas whose topmost leaves are brown emerging from winter. Do I prune those, or has the plant died? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cleaning up Adams Needle yucca in Vancouver Island BC May 19, 2009 We have Adam's needle yucca's in our the flower bed of our newly purchased home here on Vancouver Island BC. They thrive and produce impressive flowers. How do I clean them up in the spring time ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Getting rid of yucca plants in Blanco, TX May 12, 2009 How does a person get rid of Yucca plants? We have four fig trees that do not bear figs, what do we need to do? We live in SE Blanco County, Texas. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Which cactus grow in the Eagle Pass, Texas area? May 11, 2009 I would like to know which types of cacti grow in my area since I can't seem to find any websites that may give me a way to identify them. The type I seek is the round type of cacti not nopal types. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can I trim back my 20 ft Yucca plant? May 11, 2009 I have a yucca tree which is about 20 ft. tall, has four main trunks. I would like to prune it to approx. 10 ft. but wonder if that will kill it or if new shoots will come out up near the cut. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Winter damage to yucca in Winona MN April 23, 2009 This past winter was hard on my established yucca plant and most of the foliage has discolored and it is not very pleasing to look at. What should I do about the discolored portion? Should I remove ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eliminating agave roots in Tonto Basin AZ April 22, 2009 Greetings Mr. Smarty Plants, from Tonto Basin, AZ! We have numerous mature (huge!) Agave Americana plants here, and have, until recently, enjoyed them. However, we are now ready for a drastic landscap... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Survival of yucca plant mowed down in Oklahoma April 15, 2009 I have a yucca plant that came from a very old plant of my late father, and had transplanted it 6 years ago and it came back every year and bloomed. This morning I went outside and noticed my husband... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for full sun in Austin April 03, 2009 I am looking for a tough, native TX plant to put in full sun location between the sidewalk and street. I would love for it to flower all summer. There is some irrigation but not much. I don't want ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can I have success planting Adams Needle in Calgary, Alberta? Maybe. March 23, 2009 I live in Calgary, Alberta and am wondering if I could have success planting Adams Needle in this climate (lots of chinook winds in the winter with large fluctuations in temperatures). View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Should I remove the flowering stalk from my Dasylirion leioiphyllum? March 23, 2009 We transplanted a plant that is new to us but going through your photos on your website, it appears that we have a Dasylirion Leiophy. My question is this.. Are we supposed to cut the 6' stem that f... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for planting in gourds March 15, 2009 I enjoy painting dried gourds. This spring I got the idea to paint a gourd and cut holes in the side and plant some small blooming flowers. I have seen "hen and chickens" growing out of holes in the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-blooming of an apparent yucca in Ohio March 09, 2009 I have what looks like a yucca plant in my flower bed. but in the 3 years we have lived here it has never bloomed. It did get a little bigger and has always been green. If it is a yucca, is there any ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yuccas and prickly pears for Warren MI February 11, 2009 What type of yuccas and prickly pears will survive in the Detroit, Michigan area? Also, can I grow Santa Rita prickly pear in a pot? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Trimming damaged leaves on agaves February 05, 2009 Some of the leaves on my agaves are damaged. Can I cut them off? If yes, how can I prevent the wound from becoming infected? Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting blue agave pups in Arizona February 03, 2009 I have a blue Agave with lots of pups, how do I transplant a few pups into planters. What kind of soil and how much water will they need? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fertilization of recently-transplanted yucca January 26, 2009 I planted a soft tip yucca a week ago, the spineless type. I was doing a landscaping job, it was dug up, left for a week without any dirt around the roots, and when the customer did not want it, I pl... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Strange form of Dasylirion sp. (sotol) December 27, 2008 Mr. Smarty: I have a client with a huge (2 ft. diameter trunk), multi-headed dasylirion. On one or more of the heads, the leaves arch inward instead of outward. Someone said this is because of an inju... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trimming of dead foliage on trunks of yucca in California December 21, 2008 There is a Yucca plant in the back yard. I want to know how to get the old foliage that has died off of the trunks, it looks kind of ragged. The foliage is about three feet from the green. Can you ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Use of Century Plant bloom as indoor decoration December 09, 2008 Mr. Smarty Pants, After living in Arizona and now San Antonio, I am in search of a Century Plant Bloom. I cannot have an evergreen because my cats climb them. I would shellac the stalk and blooms a... 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 | ||
| Cactus failing to thrive in New York City November 21, 2008 My cactus seems to be either weak or dying. Its long stems are bending and softer than the rest. What is happening to it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Cochineal bugs on cactus November 18, 2008 Mr. Smarty plants. I have purple prickly pear cactus that are developing small white flake like spots, mostly where the thorns would be. Why is this happening and how can I cure it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are century plants (Agave spp.) poisonous? September 24, 2008 About 2 weeks ago, I was poked in the arm by a Century Plant, which caused a pretty big bruise to form. I didn't think much of it at first, but now, 2 weeks later, the bruise hasn't healed at all. S... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Damage to Agave in New Braunfels, TX August 21, 2008 In a flower box, I have an Agave on which the leaves have been damaged. It looks as if a deer rubbed his antlers on it. Is there any animal in south central Texas that would try to eat an agave? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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