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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| Are beautyberry bushes toxic to horses? October 12, 2011 Are beautyberry bushes toxic to horses? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Pruning non-native oleanders September 28, 2011 I have an oleander that has become to "leggy". I read the pruning instructions, but where I want to prune, there are not any leaf nodes. Can I trim below at the base, or will I hurt the plant? I ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Could hickory leaves be used as seasoning from Waynesboro VA September 17, 2011 I have a hickory tree. If I pull a leaf off and rip it then smell, there is a strong wonderful scent of hickory much like when I rip a mint leaf there is a strong smell of mint. So my question is, can... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification in Georgia September 14, 2011 I saw the same question that I was going to ask about the plant that folds its leaves at dusk, with sparse branches, rapid growth, small yellow flowers and long (whisker-like, but do not appear to be ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What to do if Mexican buckeye seeds are eaten September 09, 2011 What to do if seeds of the Mexican buckeye are eaten? I didn't know they were toxic. Please let me know as soon as you can. Thank you View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification of tree in North Carolina September 07, 2011 I live in North Carolina have found a tree on our property that has thorny branches and round fruit (perfectly round) with a fuzzy outer layer that starts out green but then turns yellow. The inside r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Purple Hopseed poisonous to dogs? September 03, 2011 Is the Purple Hopseed plant safe for dogs? We would like to plant a hedge of the purple hopseed at my parents home. They are elderly and have a small (8lb.) dog that they just love so much..I would ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification for shrub in Florida September 03, 2011 On our street we have ornamental shrub planted in the median that has small waxy green leaves, produces small fragrant white flowers, and red berries with white pulp and small seeds on the inside. Th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plant with red berries toxic to dogs August 29, 2011 I recently retrieved my poor doggy from the Vet. He had eaten a berry from an invasive-commonly seen brushy plant growing along my neighbors fence line. We try to keep our side clear-but the small lar... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Removing poison ivy in Cuba MO August 27, 2011 I bought a home with a huge bed of hybrid iris but the bed is thick with poison ivy. If I cover myself head to toe to prevent getting it is there a way to clean the tubers so they will not be poison? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Savannah Holly poisonous to burn in Hanahan, SC.? August 20, 2011 Can you please tell me if the wood from a savannah holly bush is poisonous to burn? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is non-native cotoneaster poisonous to goats from Eureka CA August 19, 2011 I have heard that cotoneaster is poisonous to goats and other animals. We are trying to get rid of it in our yard, but I was hoping we could use goats to eat it back. What are our options in removin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sturdiness of non- native poisonous oleanders August 16, 2011 We've seen a dozen different types of non-native plants in our yard perish in last winter's brutal freezes and this summer's record drought..which is good..except for the Oleanders, which nature ca... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Getting rid of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac July 30, 2011 How can I rid my yard of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac? I have tried roundup, poison ivy roundup and even a clorox solution and nothing seems to kill it, I keep seeing it come up. Any help ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What caused bump after walk in woods from Ontario July 25, 2011 I recently went for a walk in the woods near a stream. When I got to the river my leg had a little bump. It wasn't itching. I got home, it swelled even bigger. Can you tell me what plant I bumped int... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are palm tree seeds toxic? July 08, 2011 Are palm tree seeds toxic to other plants? I have palm trees around my pool and it seems that nothing will grow very good where the old seeds are in the ground. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fast-growing tree for horse arena in Southern California July 06, 2011 I live in Trabuco Canyon, CA, and we just lost an old Sycamore in our horse arena. I would like to replace it with some thing that is fast growing, and will be able to withstand life around horses, o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants in wheelbarrow dying in Jacksonville, FL June 22, 2011 I planted a wheelbarrow with daisies, petunias and black and blue salvia. the salvia is thriving, but the others died. Is the salvia toxic to them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Jimsonweed and its toxic nature June 21, 2011 I purchased a Jimson weed plant at a local plant sale at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center this spring and was quite surprised at how quickly & large it grew. After the first round of flowers fa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Chilopsis linearis poisonous to dogs in Midland, TX? June 04, 2011 Is any variety of Chilopsis linearis (particularly bubba bubba) poisonous to animals? I'm thinking about using it as a source of shade for multiple dog kennels in west Texas. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants causing skin irritation in West Bend WI May 26, 2011 Is there a list of plants that cause blistering in this area? I have a friend who gets it bad every year-I find no evidence of cow parsnip or poison ivy---thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are banana plants poisonous to dogs in Metarie, LA? May 25, 2011 Can a dog die from eating a banana plant that I have growing in my yard? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| is the rainbow Eucalyptus poisonous to horses in FL? May 24, 2011 Is the Rainbow Eucalyptus Tree poisonous to horses? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Food for a veiled chameleon in Columbus GA May 20, 2011 Hi I own a Veiled Chameleon, and have been recently searching for different options as to live plant use for their cage. It has pretty much come down to using hibiscus plants and only hibicus plants. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Thalia dealbata toxic to dogs? May 16, 2011 A pond in a park frequented by dogs contains Thalia dealbata and I have seen numerous dogs eating the roots with relish, which we discourage, of course. They seem to really enjoy it though. Aft... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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