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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| Transplanting and germination of Pride of Barbados in Adkins, TX April 02, 2012 What is the root system like of the Pride of Barbados? I have a lot of new plants coming up in my beds from seeds. Can these be transplanted to a new location easily without damaging the plants? If... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowers for days on end in California March 30, 2012 What are some plants or flowers that I can grow "all-year" in California? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dealing with rain runoff on a slope in Austin March 24, 2012 Our lawn is a year old and slopes at about a 45 degree angle with a lot of small holes and tiny gullies from water run-off. I have tried packing them with soil, but it washes away in the rain. Would ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| killing grass on 1 acre before planting Habiturf March 04, 2012 I have an acre of full sun lawn on a slight slope in Dallas - would the habiturf be appropriate & if so, how do I go about killing off the existing weeds/crab grass before installing? Removing 3 in o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting wildflowers in spring for spring bloom March 02, 2012 I was wondering if it is possible to plant wildflowers around this time of year, and expect them to bloom in the spring still? I have heard that many wildflowers germinate in the fall. Are there c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How do I plant seeds harvested from my flower bed? February 28, 2012 In early Spring of 2011 I planted a new raised bed 75'x4' in size, with wildflower seeds obtained from a commercial nursery in Corpus Christi. I was taken back by their cost relative to the volume o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fertilizing oaks to produce acorns January 16, 2012 Will fertilizing oak trees help with acorn production? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| When to seed a native grass lawn in a drought area? December 15, 2011 I want to plant a native grass lawn. It is raining now. Can I plant it in December? It might not be raining in the spring if the drought continues. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mexican Sycamore trees grown from seed November 15, 2011 If someone is selling an alleged Mexican Sycamore grown from a seed harvested from a mature tree growing in Austin, is it likely to be a TRUE Mexican Sycamore -- or has it most likely been pollinated ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Desmodium spp. (beggar's lice) in Leander TX November 11, 2011 Our home backs up to a greenbelt on Blockhouse Creek in Williamson County, Texas (FM 1431 and Parmer Lane). The combination of the flood and drought has left our beautiful greenbelt with an abundance... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing bluebonnets in pot in Flower Mound TX November 01, 2011 We received a package of bluebonnet seeds along with the DVD Wildflowers: Seeds of History as a gift. In the film, Andrea DeLong mentions that bluebonnets did not grow well in a rich organic soil. W... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ground cover for burned acreage in Bastrop, Texas October 31, 2011 The fire took 2/3 of the trees on my half acre in Bastrop County. It was mostly wild. What do I plant for ground cover? Do I plant native grass seed in fall? I want to keep it native as possible. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Comment on poisonous sweet pea plant from Kalama WA October 29, 2011 No question, comment only. I am aware of the story of Christopher McCandless (Call of the Wild)and the belief that he was poisoned by ingesting part of the sweet pea plant; however I am curious what ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for seed of Blackfoot Daisy from Amarillo TX October 29, 2011 I need help finding Melampodium leucanthum seed. I have spent the last few hours on the web searching for them. I checked the resources in your lists and cannot find seed. I live in Potter Coun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting Muhlenbergia capillaris (Gulf muhly) October 27, 2011 Is it too late to plant Gulf Muhly seed in North Texas (October)? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| When to reseed wildflowers in a drought year? October 18, 2011 My acreage with extensive wildflowers was mowed in 2010 before annuals had seeded. Only a few returned this year. Considering the predicted lonterm drought should I postpone reseeding this fall? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seeding the banks of a large pond October 18, 2011 I have a 2 acre surface pond that is mostly a hard clay bank all around. The water level is way down and I will begin filling it very soon. I need to somehow being affordable, plant something or thing... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Time for seeding wildflower seeds in Castle Rock CO October 03, 2011 I live in Castle Rock, CO. When is the best time to plant wildflower seed? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Golden groundsel plants or seeds for Bulverde TX October 02, 2011 Where can I find golden groundsel, plants or seeds? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dill-like plant in veggie garden in California September 28, 2011 I have a plant that appeared in my veggie garden. Looks like dill in spring when green, but the leaves smell more like turpentine! Now, 4-5 foot tall, brown, it produces lots of small, oval - not cr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eliminating black locust volunteers in Rockville MD September 27, 2011 I am a landscape designer whose client has a very large, mature black locust in her front yard. Not surprisingly, she also has multitudes of black locust volunteers popping up all over her yard. The... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for Abutilon fruticosum (Indian mallow) seeds September 24, 2011 Do you know anyone who has Abutilon Fruticosum (Indian Mallow) seeds for sale? I would love to grow the Indian Mallow, but can't locate a source. Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Seed planting of Crossvine from Orlando FL September 12, 2011 Seed planting of Bignonia capreolata - Tangerine Beauty. I have seed pods. Do I plant how deep and should I put in a plastic bag with a wet papertowel in the refrigerator and let it sprout? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ash tree shedding seeds early in IL June 23, 2011 I've lived in my house 13 years now and have a large and old ash tree in my backyard near my patio. The seed pods are ten-fold this year and are dropping constantly. I've never experienced this co... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need information about broadcasting wildflower seeds in a pasture 70 miles east of Dallas, TX. April 20, 2011 We recently moved to upper east TX - 70 miles East of Dallas. I would like to broadcast wildflowers in our pasture. I'm assuming I'll need to wait until next fall, but not sure about that. Can you t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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