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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| Privacy hedge plant for Phoenix, Arizona. March 19, 2010 Hi, Can you tell me what would be a good plant or shrub to block one side of an unsightly 6ft high wrought iron pool fence, and create some privacy. It would be full sun and the hot temperature of P... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Screen for highway noise in Conroe, Texas March 18, 2010 I have 120' of fence line which backs up to a busy highway, and now there are plans to widen it to four lanes. Is there a native tree or shrub which could help dampen the noise and block out the view... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| New York State Shrubs to Screen Home from Traffic March 11, 2010 I am looking for a native New York bush/small tree which I can use along a road to screen my home from year-round car traffic. The area is not terribly wide and the soil is OK. I am willing to prune a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Screening plant for wall in Florida February 26, 2010 Hi Mr. Smarty Pants, I live near Tampa, FL and I want to put a line of privacy plants/hedges along a brick wall. The wall is 6' high with openings in the top 3' of the wall. The length of the w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Privacy screen in Idaho February 15, 2010 Hello Mr. Smarty Plants, I need to add privacy to a chain link fence. The fence is shaded by large trees.They add shade from up high but little privacy at fence level.What would you recommend I plant... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Screen plants to replace non-native Chinese raintrees in Marble Falls, TX February 15, 2010 Five four year old Koelreuteria bipinnata (Chinese Rain) trees were mistakenly cut to the ground. They were planted fairly close together, perhaps ten feet apart. The purpose for them was to provide a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Privacy screen for wet area in Florida February 08, 2010 What are the best type of bushes/trees to plant in a low-lying area which is very wet--has sitting water after rainfall and drains slowly that is fast growing and serve as a good privacy border near f... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen shrubs for screening in Hays County, Texas January 26, 2010 Help! I bought 2 acres in Driftwood and built a small house. Last year, the neighbor moved in a dilapidated old mobile home right on the fence line and I feel all my peace is gone. What is the fast... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Privacy screen for pool in California November 24, 2009 Hi, We have new neighbors overlooking our pool and peering into our house. We want to put up a privacy screen along our back fence that runs the length of the pool, but the border running along the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant screen for Comfort TX November 23, 2009 My house sits on a hill between Fredericksburg and Comfort. Darn, if my neighbors didn't build so close to my property line that I can see into their cabin when the trees drop their leaves in the f... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Privacy screen by pool in Friendswood, TX October 07, 2009 We just moved into a new home with a pool in the backyard. We are trying to figure out what to plant along the back fence to allow for a bit of privacy; we have no direct backyard neighbors but there... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen shrub for screen in Bellville, Texas October 03, 2009 Would you please recommend a dense evergreen for a living screen in Bellville, TX (Austin County) that will receive full sun? Fast growing and a minimum height of 8' are preferred. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dog and kid barrier in East Wenatchee WA October 01, 2009 I have about a 8 foot section between my driveway and the neighbor's yard, and their kids and dogs like to run through it! I would like to plant a non-invasive 4-6 foot growing shrub/bush of some s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for privacy screen in Edgewood TX September 10, 2009 Can you recommend a large fast growing tree, shrub, etc. that can give me some privacy from my neighbor across the street that likes to use his binoculars? I live in East Texas on about 10 acres. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low water hedge for Sedona, AZ August 19, 2009 I'm looking for a shrub to plant along a 90' property line with my neighbor in Sedona, Arizona (high desert). Ideally, the shrub would grow to about 8' and would not require too much water. What wo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Privacy screen for New York apartment balcony. August 17, 2009 Hello, I live in an apartment in New York City with an outdoor large balcony. I would like to buy evergreens to make the space more private. Do you have any suggestions on what type of plant woul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trees and shrubs in Wisconsin July 30, 2009 I live in Hudson, WI, just across the border from Minn/St Paul and would like to create a privacy screen between my front yard and my neighbors yard. Right now it's full sun, but I want to plant a c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen replacement for bamboo in Redding CA July 27, 2009 We have just removed bamboo from our backyard and need to replace it with a plant that will give us the same type of privacy. What plant would you suggest to plant along a fence line that will surviv... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need suggestions for shrubs for a screening barrier along a fence line in Austin, TX. July 24, 2009 Hi! I am new to Austin and I live in a town home community that backs up to an existing neighborhood. There is no screening on my fenceline, which is only about 30 feet from my back porch! I also ha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need suggestions for shrubs for for screening along a 70 ft fence in Dallas, TX. June 29, 2009 Hi, My new home backyard is right adjacent to an intersection of reasonably busy roads. The other side of one of these roads is commercial area. From your website, I understand that Wax Myrtle is bes... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Privacy screen in front of cinderblock wall in Los Angeles June 28, 2009 I'm looking for a privacy hedge to plant along my backyard's cinderblock wall in Los Angeles, CA. I need it to grow 10 - 15 feet and it can't be toxic to dogs. Any advice would be great! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low privacy hedge in Houston June 17, 2009 I am looking for a fast growing, dense (for privacy) shrub/s or plants, that will get at least 3-4+ feet high for a mostly shady area. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen screen for Michigan June 15, 2009 Hi Mr. Smarty Pants, I need help. Can you please suggest some (preferably evergreen) shrubs and trees that will thrive in our backyard that will provide us some privacy from our neighbors (about ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Deer resistant, fast growing trees for screening June 01, 2009 Deer resistant, fast growing, native plants (trees) as a visual block. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs or trees for privacy screen in New Hampshire May 30, 2009 I am looking to put up a living privacy wall in my yard. My husband and I just bought a house in Derry, NH, and have a rather large backyard (approx. 1 acre), which seems to get continuous sun. We h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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