Native Plants
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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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| topic | question | |
| 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 |  | |
| Groundcover for Lighthouse Point FL April 13, 2012 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: I am looking for mowable ground cover for part of my back yard. Due to a Mahogany tree, a hammock, surrounding foliage and a fence, there is alot of shade in the area, alon... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Fast Growing Ground Cover for Sun in San Antonio April 02, 2012 What is the fastest growing ground cover for San Antonio Texas (predominantly sunny)? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Groundcover for Southern California clay slope April 02, 2012 I have a 30 ft. high by 96 ft. long slope with clay soil slope that I want to plant a low height ground cover. Any recommendations on what ground cover possibilities to use. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Groundcover for Massachusetts campus April 01, 2012 Our campus is converting to more sustainable landscaping practices, and in the process we are planting native plants and removing lawn. Thus we would like to replace the lawn, and some invasive groun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Specifications for a property in Corning CA March 29, 2012 Drought resistant, deer resistant, low growing (ground cover), and shade tolerant request: I am looking for a variety of species that not only fit the above preferences, but also a few other things. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Strong groundcover for Southern California March 28, 2012 Need a strong ground cover. Hard time getting anything to grow. Full sun. Prefer some color. Low upkeep. The soil probably isn't great. It is a small hill within a planter. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Flowering Deer Resistant Ground Cover for Dry Rocky Soil: Alabama March 26, 2012 My question has been partially answered in the FAQ but I live in Birmingham where the soil is clay and rocky so it's a little different. I want to plant on a rocky slope (small rocks like the size of... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Groundcover for Austin yard March 08, 2012 My main goal is to cover my yard with a "grass" or groundcover that can handle the Texas heat, predicted long drought and some dog paw traffic (without going dormant/brown in the winter). I don't n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Erosion control for a North Carolina creek side February 29, 2012 Hello Mr. Smarty Plants! I noticed a question on your website recommending NC native grasses and plants to help prevent erosion on a sloping backyard, including the use of an erosion blanket. The pl... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Groundcover for rocky slope February 27, 2012 My house has a very steep and very rocky slope. We have no problems with erosion, its just very unnattractive. There is no way to mow it whatsoever, and we live in a planned community so we can't h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Shade ground cover under honeysuckle from Wichita KS February 21, 2012 Hi! I know this is a bit odd, but I am trying to find a nontoxic, good ground covering plant that can live in the shade while competing with the roots of a whole bunch of honeysuckle. I have a few ide... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen ground cover for PA February 08, 2012 I live outside of Harrisburg, PA. We are looking for a perennial ground cover that is long blooming and evergreen. It would be planted under some trees that would give them the whole range of sun (f... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need to plant something in the cracks in my patio in Skipperville, AL. February 06, 2012 Mr. Smarty Pants, I have a cement patio full of cracks. I would like to grow some sort of plant or plants in the cracks. I live in lower Alabama, and my patio is in full sunlight. Do you have an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need plants to grow between flagstones in Vista, CA. February 06, 2012 Hi, I have put in a flagstone patio set in DG. The DG is creating a very sandy messy surface on the flagstone, so want to plant a low ground cover between the joints. Its a fairly large area, in sun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Reducing Allergens in Yards and Gardens January 31, 2012 What are some allergen-free native plants to Central Texas that thrive in the soil and can survive in the weather? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ground cover for Connecticut sandy gravel bank January 11, 2012 What ground cover plant can I use on a sandy gravel bank behind my house? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native invasive chickweed in Collegeville PA December 31, 2011 My problem is chickweed. I have found considerable information on how to eliminate the chickweed. My question is after following a suggested elimination process: How and when do I reseed with grass?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source of dollarweed for shady lawn in Hillsboro TX December 19, 2011 I live in Hillsboro,Tx - Where can I get Dollar Weed for my shady lawn? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Destruction of Straggler Daisy in Austin December 18, 2011 I hate Straggler Daisy. Not to be offensive, but it appears from other posts on this site that you, Mr. Smarty Plants, and many others would like to treat it as a protected species. It is taking over ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dense groundcover for full sun on the California coast. November 08, 2011 Can you recommend a very dense ground cover that serves as a lawn (in full sun on the coast, pref. drought resistant)? Many thanks in advance. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Native, full-sun, 4-in. evergreen grasses for Leander TX November 07, 2011 Help! I need a native Texas evergreen sedge/grass/ground cover for full-sun/hot/dry area between sidewalk and street. The plants will need to be kept about 4" high, if growth is higher it must be mow... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shade tolerant groundcover plants for Tarrant County, Texas November 01, 2011 I live in far NE Tarrant County (Ft Worth), TX and need a groundcover that can tolerate complete shade and poor, rocky, clay soil. I need mostly for erosion control, and needs to be relatively low 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 |  | |
| Invasive non-native mulberry and groundcover in Jacksonville FL October 02, 2011 Northeast Florida (Jacksonville) inland. My mulberry tree provides dense shade in the summer and filtered light the other seasons, leaving sand in its growing area. What fast growing ground cover woul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Deer-resistant groundcover for New Braunfels, TX September 24, 2011 Could you recommend some deer resistant ground cover plants for the New Braunfels area? We have tried Ajuga and Katie's Ruellia and they have been eaten. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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