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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| Horsemint for Connecticut July 01, 2015 Will horsemint grow in Connecticut? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pollinators for Washington State June 26, 2015 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I am removing invasive knotweed in the Pacific Northwest and I would like to provide native plant alternatives that would flower and provide pollen in the late summer/fall f... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Texas Plants for SC June 22, 2015 I just visited your beautiful facility for the first time and loved it! I'm planning to move to Charleston, SC and would love to replicate some of the wildflower and walkway areas I saw. Would the fo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Twist-leaf Yucca flowering in Burnet County, TX. June 16, 2015 I recently moved to Burnet County and our property is full of twist leaf yuccas which are now blooming, but not all are blooming. Why do some twist leaf yuccas bloom and others don't? Are they m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting wildflowers slated for destruction in Buda, TX. June 16, 2015 TXDOT has recently informed our church that they will be taking a sizeable amount of natural area fronting a ranch road for lane expansion. We are devastated to lose an are we have planted and nurtur... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can you grow wildflowers on a Zoysia greenroof? June 09, 2015 I have a 700 square foot zoysia grass roof with irrigation on a pool cabana that I would like to sprinkle with wildflower seeds (bluebonnets, indian paintbrush etc) Is this possible? What is the best ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seedball Germination in Dallas, TX May 27, 2015 Last Fall we created thousands of seedballs with Lady Bird's wildflower seed mixture, compost and clay, and planted them along a bike trail in Dallas, Texas. We are so disappointed because nothing h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Indian Paintbrush outnumbering our Bluebonnets this year. May 26, 2015 We noticed we have more Indian paintbrush than bluebonnets in our front yard this year. Our issue is we also have more spear grass than normal. Is there a way to control this grass without killing th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Weeds from neighbor's yard are a problem. May 11, 2015 Our neighbor has let his front yard go wild. Many of these native wild plants are very invasive. How can I stop their spreading into our yard? There are too many to try & keep up with pulling them as ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Thinning and culling wildflower seed mix plants May 11, 2015 Wildflower garden in central Oklahoma I sowed a (mostly) native wildflower mixture in early November here in my Zone 7A Edmond, OK garden. To my surprise, many of the seeds (I'm guessing annuals)... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Spring sowing of wildflower seeds in pots May 11, 2015 Is it possible to start wildflower seeds in pots in the spring and then transplant them to the yard? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bleeding Heart-Like Plant Identification in PA May 09, 2015 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants. We have a plant that looks almost like the bleeding heart, as in the way the bell shaped (not heart) white flowers hang downward on the stem. However, the leaves are broader and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wildflower Seed Planting in Austin in April April 30, 2015 What wildflower seeds can I plant in April? Is there a schedule? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What about the Bluebonnets at Muleshoe Bend Recreational Area in Spicewood, TX ? April 27, 2015 We had heard about vast field of bluebonnets out at Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area - an LCRA park in Spicewood. We went out today and there are indeed vast fields . . . all where Lake Travis would be ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Tropical Milkweed Harmful to Monarchs? April 24, 2015 I believe I recently read that the orange flowering Mexican milkweed carries a virus(?) or something that harms monarch butterflies. What are recommendations if I use this plant in my northern CA yar... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Groundcover Suggestion for OK April 24, 2015 I need your suggestion for a groundcover for a flower bed in the sun and in the shade in Oklahoma. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shady Groundcovers for NC April 23, 2015 I have a side yard that gets very little sun during the day and have tried St. Augustine grass unsuccessfully. Can you recommend a groundcover? We live close to the coast in Southeastern N. Carolina... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen groundcovers for NE NC April 20, 2015 Can you please provide a list of evergreen native groundcovers for Northeastern NC? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bees and Bulbs April 20, 2015 Are any of the Non-Native bulbs beneficial to bees of any kind? My Dutch hyacinths, and daffodils are so prolific; they are both single, but I can't find any information about them as sources of nect... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for a Shaded Slope in Philadelphia April 17, 2015 I have a small slope along the North side of my house in a suburb of Philadelphia. A small maple tree grows there but most of it gets no sun at all (a large segment is under the tree). I had the soil ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Plants for a Shaded Patio Container in Missouri April 17, 2015 What kind of native plants would grow well in a pot on a fully shaded patio? I live in Kansas City, Missouri. The patio faces north and doesn't get any direct sunlight, but it gets lots of indirect... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Goldsturm Rudbeckia Stunted and Doesn't Bloom April 16, 2015 I have Goldsturm Rudbeckia that never flowers nor gets taller than 4 inches. Meanwhile, my phlox does fantastic in the same area. This area is sand top dressed with black dirt. Please help! Goldst... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| New Jersey Native Plants for a Raised Bed April 15, 2015 I want to plant some native plants in a raised bed in New Jersey along side a stucco wall that gets direct sun and is very dry due to an overhang. Any suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Wildflowers and Grasses for Texas Acreage April 15, 2015 I recently purchased about 36 acres in Somervell County, Texas where cedar had been bulldozed and burned (many large spots). What would be the best native flowers or grasses to replant in that area? L... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Groundcover Suggestions for Under Florida Oak Trees April 03, 2015 I am looking for native plants that will do well under several oak trees in Northeast Florida. My yard doesn't get much sun and I'm told I have acidic soil. Are the any plants that would do well wit... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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