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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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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Ground cover for Central California from Concord CA July 19, 2012 I live in a part of California where the summers can be very hot and dry but quite cool and wet during the rainy seasons in the wintertime. The soil around my home is very dry, rocky and infertile. I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Would Habiturf or buffalograss work in Charlottesville VA July 18, 2012 Hello, I am looking for an alternative to traditional turf grasses. I stumbled upon some information on your site about buffalo grass and LBJWC's 'Habiturf' mix and would like to know if this w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Drought-resistant ground cover for Massachusetts July 11, 2012 Mr Smarty Plants I am looking for drought resistant,low maintenance ground cover for a LEED certified project in Florence MA. Any suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Wisconsin Ground Cover for Acid Soil July 09, 2012 What type of native wisconsin ground cover plants do best on acidic bare areas under pine trees such as blue spruce?...and where is best source for these plants or seeds? Thanks so much for your help View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Kinnikinnick for a green roof July 04, 2012 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I live just north of Seattle and want to build a green roof (outdoor kitchen) I'm concerned about the weight of the soil (saturated), drainage etc. am building from scratch and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Ground cover that won't hide snakes from Asheville NC June 29, 2012 I have an unusual situation: several bare areas in an otherwise wooded area, which receive partial sun, and are not near water -- it rains here frequently, but the soil can become quite dry at times. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plantings for a slope from New Carrollton MD June 27, 2012 My house (Maryland, near DC) sits at the bottom of a south facing slope. The soil is very heavy clay. The grade is about 1:20 for about 100 feet (with a steeper part at the top). Part of the hill is i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Deer Resistant Groundcover for lower Michigan June 24, 2012 What ground cover is deer resistant for a sunny location in lower Michigan? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Ground cover under live oaks June 18, 2012 I have some areas under Live Oak trees (maybe 200 sq. ft.)that remain bare, in spite of trying Habiturf. Soil is dry, poor and shallow. Can you suggest a living ground cover that would not require m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plant ID at Wildflower Center from Waco TX June 18, 2012 I was at the Center last weekend and no one was able to answer these two questions: 1. Where can I buy Silver Ponyfoot groundcover? 2. What is the name of the plant with coral blossoms in front of... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Drought tolerant ground cover for Midlothian, TX June 17, 2012 I'm looking for a fast, low ground cover. That is drought tolerant for a large slope. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Deer proof ground cover for sunny area in Mississippi June 09, 2012 I am looking for a low ground cover that will thrive in a sunny location and is deer proof View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Ground cover for Thornton CO June 04, 2012 I want to order ground cover because I don't want to mess with grass any more. I live in Colorado, north of Denver. The soil has a lot of clay. I tried clover and that did not do well. My yard is par... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Ground cover for shade from Atlanta GA May 28, 2012 I am looking for recommendations for a ground cover. I live in the Atlanta, Georgia area and have a large shady slope on which I would like to use low maintenance/water native ground cover. What wou... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcovers for Moreno Valley, CA May 17, 2012 Hi, I live in Moreno Valley, CA I have a huge flower bed area surrounding our grass I am looking for the best ground cover that will have minimal up keep. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Habiturf for East Texas May 14, 2012 We live in east Texas, right on the beginning of the piney words, the soil is a little sandy. We have taken up a wooden walkway but can't get anything to grow there. Could the soil be dead from year ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Erosion Control in Bartlesville OK May 10, 2012 What kind of plants can we use to stop erosion and loss of bank on a creek that is mostly shaded? Is there any free advice/plants for people that are losing land due to water levels rising/dropping? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plants to grow between flagstones in the Hudson River Valley of New York May 08, 2012 I live in newburgh, ny & have aquired some bluestone. I want to do a walkway but will need a low mowable ground cover to go between the stones (not enough bluestone to cover the area. I know I have ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Restoring the woods in Central Austin. May 08, 2012 I live in Austin, south central between Red Bud trail close to the low water bridge and Bee Caves road. My question: I want to make the wooded sections of my yard attractive. They have filtered sun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcover and Butterfly attractants for LaRue Texas May 02, 2012 LaRue, TX - Would like a native low growing plant as a groundcover. I would like it for six+ hours of sun, drought tolerant, and ones that butterflies might enjoy, while deer won't. Some winter int... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
New gardener on lawn for Poolville TX April 28, 2012 I have never had the opportunity to have a nice yard until recently when I got married. My husband loves a nice yard and we have worked very hard and put in hours of work. We are learning by trial a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Sunny and shady lawns from Austin April 28, 2012 My front yard has a large bed surrounded by a mix of St. Augustine and Bermuda grass. Last summers heat killed off about 90% of the St. Augustine, which we would like to replace anyway to conserve re... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Turf grass for part-time home from Louisville KY April 28, 2012 We have a small yard at a remote location with cistern water, and need a turf grass for a yard, clay soil, which I am willing to amend. It will receive sporadic attention as my husband and I do not l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Help with control of small, invasive groundcover April 16, 2012 I have a very invasive ground cover creeping into my yard. I've tried to identify it and it's similar to creeping charlie or garlic mustard. Leaves are triangular with jagged edges, small purple f... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcover for Orange County, Florida April 14, 2012 I live in Central FL (Winter Park)and I have a small, mostly sunny (no trees) backyard next to a large in-ground swimming pool which fills up with the leaves of my neighbor's oak trees. The backyard ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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