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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| Horsetail Rush invasive in Santa Monica CA January 16, 2012 Mr. Smarty Plants: I live about 3 miles from the beach in the Santa Monica area and have an 18inch deep planter area in my backyard that is adjacent to my garage. I like the look of horsetail rush. I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Negative and positive effects of invasive dandelions from Rama Ontario January 12, 2012 How do Dandelions have a negative impact of being a invasive and a Positive impact of being a invasive species ? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Managing non-native invasive creeping yellow cress in Rio Medina TX January 10, 2012 Due to my lawn mower dying and waiting for the shop to fix it my yard got a bit overgrown. I was walking around the yard looking at the blooming wildflowers and have discovered that one of them is Ror... 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 | ||
| 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 |  | |
| When to plant non-native red-tip photinia November 17, 2011 When do you plant the Red-Tip Photinia Flowering Shrubs in Roanoke VA? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information on edible tubers of hog potato from Austin November 10, 2011 I inquired a while back about hog potato or Hoffmannseggia glauca. You gave me some information on the plant but no information on when the plant produces the edible tubers. Also how long does it take... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Nativity of Lantana camara and Strelitzia reginae November 08, 2011 I was wondering why Lantana Camara is not in the Wildflower's database. Multiple sources say it is native to the U.S. and North America. I was also wondering if Strelitzia reginae (Bird-of-Paradise... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plant with light orange fruit November 03, 2011 Trying to identify a small, light orange, oval shaped fruit,light yellow/beige inside, many seeds, vine w/briars, behind an outbuilding in McNeill, MS. tks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification November 02, 2011 I have a plant that I would like to identify. It is a tall shrub/woody vine? (approx. 8-10 feet) that has very large thorns on its branches and stems. The stems remain green during winter. It loses it... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native mimosa failing to bloom in Leitchfield KY October 29, 2011 I have a medium size mimosa tree here in KY that usually blooms beautifully; it did not bloom at all this year. It leafed out well, needs a few dead limbs pruned, but seems otherwise healthy. Please t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Control of Paulownia tomentosa from Westminster MD October 28, 2011 I have heard that there is a type of herbicide that is to be applied to slashes made in the outer layer of invasive trees such as Paulownia. This type of application is reputed to prevent the little ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Replacement of Arizona ash in Austin October 28, 2011 We have two Arizona Ashes in our yard that probably have maybe a decade left in them. We want to get a couple new trees started, so they will be well established once the Ashes are near their end. In ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native citronella mosquito plant wintering inside in Charlotte NC October 20, 2011 Can I bring the citronella mosquito plant in the house over the winter, or should it be planted outside. I live in Charlotte, NC. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native replacement for non-native Bermudagrass in Leander TX October 16, 2011 We have Bermuda grass. Large patches have died due to the drought and our yard has been taken over by weeds and St. Augustine grass whose seeds must have blown in. Even when the grass was in great con... 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 |  | |
| Eliminating black locust volunteers in Rockville MD September 27, 2011 I am a landscape designer whose client has a very large, mature black locust in her front yard. Not surprisingly, she also has multitudes of black locust volunteers popping up all over her yard. The... 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 | ||
| Have invasive plants no useful purpose from Anchorage AK September 03, 2011 Does the definition of invasive plants include that the plant has no useful purpose? Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for shade in Ennis TX August 26, 2011 My house faces south. The southwest side of the front yard has a Pride of Houston, Japanese Barberry, 2 crape myrtles and some dwarf yaupon hollies. The other section, divided by a stairway to the p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning drought-stressed butterfly plants from Kerrville TX August 22, 2011 Due to the drought, our butterfly bushes have dead branches. Ordinarily we prune the dormant plants in winter, but can we cut back dead branches now? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting trumpet creeper in Prairie City, IA August 22, 2011 I have a Trumpet Creeper that I would like to transplant. How do you do that? 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 | ||
| Liriope spicata for erosion and dust suppression from Bonifay FL August 16, 2011 I want to plant Liriope 'spicata'. I know it can be aggressive and that's what I want. We live on dirt road and need something by road for help in erosion and it's also hard to mow this are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Killing oak sprouts from El Paso TX August 16, 2011 I want to know how to kill oak root sprouts and seedlings. Very dense and out-of-control in huge area of front lawn. I had tree cut down and I still cannot get rid of them. They're only getting wors... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| removing paper mulberry shoots from lawn August 09, 2011 Dear Mr./Ms. Smartypants, I recently moved into an Austin home with the backyard taken over by paper mulberries. There were originally 2-3 large bush/trees, but now that I've removed them I realiz... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Invasive phragmites from New Egypt NJ July 30, 2011 I have some wetland near a road. It has been taken over by phragmites. How is the best way to remove these grasses and add some diversity to this area. The area in question is approx. 100 by 30 feet. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native Silver lace vine invasive from Ft. Davis TX July 29, 2011 Is silver lace vine invasive? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for slope in central Alabama July 26, 2011 Our home is atop a 20-25' eastern facing sandy loam slope in central Alabama. It was previously covered w/ kudzu. After 3 yrs. of eradication of the kudzu we are ready to plant with native grasses/pl... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Alternate native plants for bamboo as a privacy screen in Austin, TX. July 26, 2011 Can you recommend a bamboo that I can plant, acting as a privacy screen, reaching at least 10'-12'? We are looking for a bamboo that does not spread, and can take the afternoon sun. It will be pla... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Root barriers for invasive plant roots from neighbor in Austin July 24, 2011 My neighbor's invasive plantings are invading my yard. He has Chinese parasol, China berry, Japanese honeysuckle, privets, ligustrums and native Mustang grape vines planted so closely together they ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Soapberry suckers in Austin July 23, 2011 Western Soapberry. Cut it down many months ago. Now I have baby trees all over the lawn. Are these the berries or are they coming from roots even though some sprouts are quite a distance away. I pul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Eliminating a briar vine in American holly July 22, 2011 I have a wild vine (I was told it is a type of briar) living on my place. The root nest is like a potato. I have dug them up, I have sprayed them and I still am plagued with them. I have a beautiful A... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native Tradescantia spathacea in Austin July 10, 2011 Can a moses in the cradle (Tradescantia spathacea) plant be planted in a landscape setting with part sun of up to six hours in this texas heat? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| A&M maroon bluebonnets for Hawaii July 10, 2011 My daughter graduated from Texas A&M and has moved to Hawaii. She would love to have the maroon bluebonnets developed by A&M to plant in her new home. How would she need to prepare the seeds since t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Controlling Straggler Daisy July 07, 2011 Is there a barrier I can use that will keep Straggler Daisy under control so that I will not be a problem for my neighbors? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Sandbur invasion in Mission TX June 08, 2011 I have a spiny sandbur invasion in my yard. Even the dog tiptoes around to do her business. Because I live in Mission, TX, this weed acts like a perennial and is constantly growing (no winter freezes... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for Bastrop TX June 01, 2011 I'm hoping you can help with this. Recently I have moved to Bastrop TX on what used to be Camp Swift military property. We have looked into planting grass and plants in the yard but discovered we hav... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Snails in the ice plants in California May 31, 2011 Ice plants and snails. Every morning when I go outside I see at least 20 or more snails. Is there a certain way that I should have planted them that would have prevented them from destroying my plant?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why is Water Hyacinth an invasive plant and Pickerel Weed isn't in Metarie, LA? May 28, 2011 Water Hyacinth. Would you please tell me why the Eichhornia crassipes (non-native) vs. Pickerelweed (native) is invasive vs. non-invasive? What are easy identifiers for these aquatic plants? Th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Invasive Cissus trifoliata in Dallas May 25, 2011 I have finally identified an invasive, stinky vine in my urban landscape as Cissus trifoliata. It was waxy leaves, small greenish flowers, and small black berries. It appears to spread with undergrou... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants that will do well in a water retention basin in White Stone Virginia May 23, 2011 I am looking for plants to grow under pine trees in a water retention basin. The pine trees line the basin. When it rains it will hold water for about two to three days before evaporating. I have p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Skunk cabbage to repel rabbits in Wichita KS May 22, 2011 I would like to find a skunk cabbage plant or oil of skunk cabbage to drive away rabbits from my garden.. It does work for several yrs ago I purchased a plant from a garden shop but can not find it no... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native invasives question from Arlington MA May 20, 2011 When I searched your website for creepers in Massachusetts, I found the following recommendations: Campsis radicans and Parthenocissus quinquefolia. But in response to a reader's question, you called... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Invasive native wild onions in East Granby CT May 17, 2011 I have wild onions which have become extremely invasive. I have no idea how to get rid of them, and this year they seem to have taken over my entire flower bed. I tried pulling the bulbs out for sever... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Looking for lunaria in VA May 06, 2011 Where in the state of Virginia or North Carolina can I purchase the Lunaria annual plant? (the purple leaf lunaria annual plant) View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removal of Invasive Mint April 23, 2011 The herb Mint is taking over my flower garden. How can I kill this out? Thank you, View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for under pine trees in Colorado Springs CO April 23, 2011 What can I plant under pine trees in Colorado that will grow every year? Would like ground cover; tried bishop weed. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need suggestions for replacing invasive privet in the Dallas area. April 20, 2011 We are removing invasive privet at a project. We will need to substitute native plants and would like to know how to find out which plants should be used. We are in the Dallas area. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to tell the difference between native and European thistles April 19, 2011 How can I tell the difference between invasive (European) thistles and thistles that are native to Texas? And what is the best way to eradicate the invasive varieties? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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