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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| Distance apart to plant Arizona ash trees in El Paso, TX July 01, 2010 How far apart can I plant two Arizona ash trees? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Browning leaves on recently planted chinkapin oak in Rockwall TX June 09, 2010 I just planted a chinkapin oak that is about 1 1\2 inches thick last week and now some of the leaves are turning brown. Does that mean its dying? Do you have any tips that I could use to protect it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants that will grow on the Connecticut coast June 08, 2010 I live on the coast in Connecticut and have a hard time growing plants here. I live about 1/2 mile from the beach and find that my soil is very rocky. The only plants that have done well in my yard ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowering vine for trellis behind fountain in Anaheim Hills CA June 05, 2010 We are looking for a flowering vine to plant on a trellis surrounding a water fountain. The fountain splashes leaving the soil constantly wet. We have tried numerous vines, but they all die due to t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant for part sun in Nampa Idaho May 20, 2010 What could I plant in arid SW Idaho on the northwest side of my house along a border against the house? Most of the day this area is in shade, but at the hottest time of the day it gets a couple of h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for shade under pine trees in Grapevine TX May 16, 2010 What plants are good to put under pine trees in the shade? I live in the Dallas Fort Worth area? The previous owners stuck a Japanese Maple in there that seems to be ok and some sort of holly bush (n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pine bark on non-native St. Augustine grass in Kingwood TX May 12, 2010 I had two large Pine trees cut down. In the process of cutting the trees down there is a lot of pine bark from the tree on my St Augustine grass. Will this affect the growth of my grass? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Severely cutback sloping soil in Dripping Springs TX May 09, 2010 We have 5.5 acres off Henly Loop just north of Hwy 290 about 10 miles west of Dripping Springs, TX. The former property owners carved out soil from a sloping area to get soil for the driveway. Doing ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Use of fresh clippings from tree trimmers for mulch in Austin May 02, 2010 Hi, The tree trimmers are in my neighborhood (east central Austin) to clear the power lines and said I can have a load of free mulch. I am wondering if there is any harm in using the fresh mulch from... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Replacing a Mexican ash with a live oak in Rockport TX April 25, 2010 I live in the Texas Coastal Bend (Rockport, TX). I recently lost a huge Mexican Ash, probably 45 years old. The trunk measures 11'6" at ground level, and gets progressively larger from there up. Its... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Best fertilizer for live oak trees in Central Texas April 22, 2010 What is the best fertilizer for live oak trees in Central Texas? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen pet-safe shrubs for house and screening in McKinney TX April 15, 2010 Looking for shrub, preferably evergreen, to plant near the house that can handle wet ground and is pet (dog, cat, horse) safe. The area became boggy after we had an underground water leak that is now ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Perennial blooming plants for Ashland MO April 02, 2010 I am beginning to create a flower bed in front of my house, I do not have a green thumb so I want to know what plants would come back yearly and I can plant now in Mid Missouri? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to grow milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) for monarch butterflies March 31, 2010 I tried and tried and tried to grow Asclepias viridis, A. asperula and even A. oenotheroides from seeds and even tubers for fourteen years! Do you have advice for growing these and other milkweed plan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fast-growing evergreens for privacy in Center, TX March 30, 2010 I live in East Texas and am looking for a fast growing evergreen for a privacy screen around my backyard. The area gets partial sun and the soil has a lot of clay in it. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowers for sunny and shady gardens in Cedar Hill TX March 30, 2010 Last year I spent way too much on flowers for my sunny and shady flower beds. They all died from the heat, even after constant watering. What flowers could I plant in sunny and shady flower beds that ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants to provide nitrogen for compost in Houston March 27, 2010 I leave my clippings on the lawn so I don't have enough 'green' for my compost. I'd like to plant an unobtrusive area with some native that I can mow on a monthly basis. The area is in partial... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowers for sandy soil and sun in Wharton Co., TX March 23, 2010 I live in Wharton County. I am looking for flowers to plant in beds that have sandy soil and are well drained. The area receives sun all day until 5-6 in the afternoon. I would like to have flowers t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrubs or ground cover for north-facing landscape in Ft. Worth March 23, 2010 Need native plant ideas for a landscaping bed against the house facing north. Already has 1 Beautyberry but two others died of root rot last year due to incredibly high water table in our area. Old ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for floodplain in Fairfield, New Jersey March 21, 2010 I have an easy question for you... I hope... We just moved into the floodplains of NJ in Fairfield and are interested in some plants. We would like to know what plants are best suited to grow in flood... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Lawn Maintenance in Colorado March 20, 2010 When do I begin to fertilize and water my grass in Colorado Springs? I am selling my house and want my lawn to look green? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Help with composting in Katy TX March 19, 2010 I've gone on line and tried to figure out what I'm doing wrong with my compost pile. What exactly is the proper ratio, and the types of plant matter and layers to achieve the optimum decomposition i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Time to mulch without inhibiting seeds in Hitchcock, TX March 17, 2010 When would be the best time of year to put down mulch, if I want my native plants to re-seed? I don't want to bury the seed under mulch layers or new dirt. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification and advice about moving it March 10, 2010 I have a plant (a thick stalk about 4 foot tall with yellow flowers on it) that blooms in the morning and the flowers fall off at night. I have searched for info on this plant and have come up short. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rain garden for South Austin March 01, 2010 I have a TINY yard in south Austin. It is 8'x25', sandwiched between four houses and happens to be at the lowest elevation, so all of the neighbor's yards drain to ours. Originally, we had bermud... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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