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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| Bark damage to Tulip Tree August 10, 2006 I have a tulip tree planted. It is about 9-10 years old. Two years ago the tree looked as though the trunk was cracked. Maybe hit by lightning after a storm. This year the bark on the side of tree... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Soapberry Transplant shock symptoms July 21, 2006 Please suggest a cause & cure for general yellowing of the leaves of Western Soapberry when planted in the ground 20 miles NW of Austin (thin, poor clay over limestone). Trees still in containers are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Leaves falling off recently transplanted mature Mountain Laurel July 05, 2006 I have recently purchased a Mountain Laurel for my backyard landscaping. It is a fully matured ML standing over 9 feet tall by 6 feet wide. Since it was planted (about 6 weeks ago) it has been losin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tree ordinances re Magnolia Ladybird Johnson tree July 02, 2006 What exactly is a Ladybird Johnson tree? Also, is there any type of federal or state law(s) that prohibits the cutting, trimming or removal of a LadyBird Johnson tree? Thank you for your time! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Manor, TX in Blackland Prairie ecoregion June 27, 2006 Hi, I am planning an event for my community in Shadowglen and Manor, TX so my neighbors can learn about using native plants in the landscape to create healthier habitat for wildlife and be more respon... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fast growing native trees for Austin June 15, 2006 What are your suggestions for a fast growing native tree that will do well in the clay soils of North Central Austin? I just had a 30 foot hackberry tree fall and would like to restore some shade to m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Texas Hill Country nitrogen-fixing plants June 07, 2006 Please help me find a listing of native (TX Hill Country) nitrogen-fixing plants. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hill Country natives for a hedge June 01, 2006 Can you recommend a "hedge type" bush to use in lieu of a fence along the road in the San Antonio region? My whole back yard is planted with Hill Country natives and I would prefer to keep the the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Alder native to Central Indiana May 30, 2006 I am trying to find out whether there exists a plant named Alnus rugosa. I bought a plant recently that said Speckled Alder, Alnus serrulata (rugosa), but have been unable to determine if this is a c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native holly (ilex) for Austin area May 28, 2006 Hi--my brother and his family live in Austin, TX--their german shepard "Holly" just died (she was 13)--I was throwing around the idea of sending them a holly plant of some sort to have in honor of H... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Protection of Mountain Laurel from Pyralid or Genista moth caterpillars May 28, 2006 I have a Texas Mountain Laurel. Every year it is attacked by caterpillars. They form a bag for lack of a better word on the ends of the branches destroying the blooms for the following year. PLEASE... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mountain Laurel and Desert Willow in pots or ground in Brady, TX May 09, 2006 I would really appreciate your advice if a Texas Mountain Laurel (now a 1 gal. size) and a Desert Willow (now a 3 gal.) are good candidates for planting in containers and, if so, what size for each? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fertilizer and application for live oak trees April 27, 2006 What do I use to feed live oak trees? How do I apply the fertilzer? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Determination of native plants of North Carolina April 24, 2006 I am compiling lists of native plants to use in NC, and found that Dirr (Manual of Woody Landscape Plants) lists introduction dates (xxxx) for MANY of the trees you list as natives, e.g., Acer rubrum ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native, non-invasive plants for Canaan Valley, WV April 23, 2006 I recently purchased a home on an acre of land in the middle of Canaan Valley, WV. The front yard is flat and sunny, the back is on a ridge and is a little forest with a creek at the bottom. The tre... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Inadvisability of mounding earth around tree in ring April 20, 2006 We have a mimosa tree in our backyard. My husband wants to build a tree ring around it. My mother told me that some trees will die from having soil built up around it like that. Will a tree ring ki... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Xeriscaping in clay on a slope in Fort Worth April 06, 2006 Xeriscaping in clay (Fort Worth) on a slope -- Please offer suggestions and publications. Thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Lopidea texana nymphs and adults feeding on Mountain Laurel in March April 04, 2006 What is the species name of the bright red bug (Miridae) nymphs and adults that are feeding on Texas Mountain Laurel leaves at this time (March 24) at the Wildflower Center? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Susceptibility of Shumard oaks to oak wilt March 25, 2006 I have planted a red oak tree. I am still trying to locate the ID tag for the type. I planted it two or three years ago. I purchased the tree from either Lowes or Home Depot. Is there a type of red oa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native drought resistant evergreen plants for privacy hedgein clay soil in Texas March 08, 2006 My family would like to create privacy around our 4 acres of fence line. What native evergreen or fast growing bushes would work? We have terrible clay soil and need drought resistant plants. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eastern red cedar as tall privacy hedge for North Texas February 28, 2006 I live in Northern Texas, outside of Dallas, and I need a very, very tall hedge to hide the view of the neighbors car lot from our second floor. We see everything beyond his fence and it drastically ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Differentiating between red oak, Shumard oak and American sycamore February 05, 2006 I have a few trees growing in an arroyo and I'm pretty certain that they are either red oak, shumard red oak, or Texas sycamore. The trees are deciduous and have a scaled grey bark which becomes lig... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tahitian gardenias (Gardenia taitensis) salt and wind resistance in Hawaii February 03, 2006 Are Tahitian Gardenias salt tolerant? We live on a rocky coastline in Hawaii and we get a lot of salt spray. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible identification of Post Oak in New Braunfels, TX January 27, 2006 I live 6 miles north of New Braunfels in the Hill Country and own 5 acres of land. The property consists of many escarpment live oaks, texas persimon, and ashe juniper. I believe I also have some Te... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Determining distance of trees from paving in NE Indiana December 09, 2005 I'd like to plant 3 types of trees (Catalpa speciosa- Northern Catalpa; Juglans cinerea - Tulip Tree; and Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple) next to sidewalks and driveways, but need to know if they have ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Viability of Desert Willow in clay soil in Fredericksburg, TX November 25, 2005 I have recently purchased a house in a new subdivision in Fredericksburg, TX. The lot was not landscaped. I have a small lot (85 X 135), my back yard is about 50 X 85. The soil is a heavy clay. I am c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Questioning native status of Alberta Spruce in New Jersey November 11, 2005 I am in the process of transforming my yard to native plants. Several years ago I planted a Dwarf Alberta Spruce. I want to be sure this isn't native before I remove it but haven't been able to fi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Late leafing and early leaf-drop of Ohio buckeye tree October 28, 2005 We recently bought a house which has an ohio buckeye tree in the back yard. It stands about 40 feet from a large creek in Troy, Ohio. The tree is about 30 feet tall. A strip of the bark is missing.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possibility of saving hurricane-damaged Umbrella Magnolia October 12, 2005 Our beautiful umbrella magnolia Magnoliaceae Magnolia tripetala was toppled during Hurricane Katrina. We have lifted it back in place, however it looks very distressed. I have the following questions:... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Landscaping with native plants in Austin October 06, 2005 I'm expanding a flower bed in front of my house and would like to keep it all natives. 1) How do I find out what type of soil I should add? (I live near Hyde Park, Austin and haven't had a soil te... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Viability of Texas madrone tree in Weatherford, TX September 27, 2005 I live in Weatherford, Texas (Parker County). Will a Madrone tree make it ok here and who sells them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting Colorado blue spruce in Indiana August 16, 2005 I live in Indiana. I have a Colorado blue spruce that I would like to transplant to a different part of my yard. What is the best time of year to transplant it? It is only about two foot tall. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on dogwoods August 05, 2005 I am interested in the worldwide distribution of the dogwood family/cornus. Specifically, I am interested in whether or not there are indiginous species on the Indian Subcontinent. Is there a resour... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fast growing native trees for Manor,TX August 04, 2005 A friend wants to plant fast-growing trees to disguise a road on ranchland east of Manor, Texas. Any ideas? Many thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Diospyros virginiana July 29, 2005 Diospyros virginiana (common persimmon) is, from what I understand, a host plant for the stunning Luna Moth caterpillar which supposedly can occur this far west. Your database entry for Diospyros do... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Smarty Plants on Texas Madrone July 24, 2005 Hello, where can one acquire the Texas Madrone for planting? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Delay in fruiting of Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana) July 20, 2005 Dear experts, My wife and i are members of your fine organization. Several years ago we bought four things at a spring plant sale for an understory spot in our yard. The Possumhaw Holly, American ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on women trying to conceive July 10, 2005 RE: Eucalyptus. Is this bad for women trying to conceive? The smell is very powerful. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Ebenopsis July 01, 2005 Why is the Texas Ebony, genus Pithecolobium, not in your database? Is it not a native? Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Willows native to Wisconsin July 01, 2005 I have a small garden center in the far northern reaches of Wisconsin....and I specialize in native varieties for up here. I also help folks with lake shore restoration and preservation. There was... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Black walnut herbivory June 13, 2005 We moved to Texas just about a year ago and have loved it here. This past January we visited the Wildflower Center and obtained some black walnut seeds. Up until last night the tree was doing well p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native maples for the Austin, TX area May 21, 2005 I am new to the state of Texas. I lived in Canada all of my life and miss my maple trees. Are maple trees (green or red leafed varieties) able to thrive in Austin? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Huisache blooms when freeze is over May 02, 2005 I live in San Antonio, TX and have heard that when the Huisache blooms all danger of frost or freeze is over. Is that true? And, this year to date (April 22, 2005) we have not seen the Huisache bloo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Texas native mulberry tree May 01, 2005 My family recently moved to Kyle, TX (north of San Marcos, south of Austin). I am delighted to discover a dewberry tree in our yard. I have never heard of such a thing. Is this a common species?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Galls on live oak trees in Austin, TX April 14, 2005 I am a resident of a condominium complex in Austin that has numerous Live Oak trees. Can you explain what the gall type things are hanging from the trees at this time of year and all over the grounds?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on southern magnolia April 11, 2005 I live in East Texas and there are two 50-year-old southern magnolia trees in front of my house on the highway right-of-way marked to be destroyed. The Texas Department of Transportation has allowed t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Smarty Plants on arborvitaes March 28, 2005 Hello, I live in Allentown, PA and have a 7-foot arborvitae shrub in my backyard, planted in the corner of the yard where a wood fence intersects with the brick wall of the garage. I have had ma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting crabapple tree from root sprouts March 24, 2005 I have a Crabapple tree that is sending up sapling shoots. Can these be dug up and planted? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Potential danger of oak wilt in live oaks in Dallas, TX February 17, 2005 Do you have or know of any recent publications that discuss a potential oak wilt problem in live oaks in the Dallas area? We strongly believe that live oaks have a great landscape value and are tryi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning a Wafer Ash to make it upright February 11, 2005 How do I trim a Wafer Ash? It lays on the ground. Is that normal? Does it need to be upright? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Bacterial wetwood disease in ash tree November 11, 2004 I have an Ash tree in my front yard. It's about 25 - 30 years old. About 2 months ago, it began to ooze sap from a point where a limb had been pruned, I'd say, about 15 - 20 years ago. So this cut ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible reasons for early leaf drop of post oaks in Austin October 27, 2004 I have a post oak tree in my back yard that has been losing its leaves since mid-September. This is my first year in the house, and I am surprised that the tree would lose its leaves while the temper... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small to medium specimen native tree for Texas Hill Country August 20, 2004 Can you recommend a small to med. 'specimen' tree to plant near our patio? Full sun, drought tolerant, interesting during different seasons. Thought about Blanco Crabapple, Rusty Blackhaw, Smoke Tr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Daily water absorption of live oak from soil December 04, 2003 How much water does the live oak absorb from the soil per day? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How common is white blooming Mountain Laurel April 01, 2003 Is white blooming Mountain Laurel common? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Stage of maturity for redbud trees bloom April 01, 2003 At what stage of maturity will Redbud trees bloom? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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