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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| Forum for reporting rare plants July 05, 2014 Hi Mr. Smarty Pants, I was wondering if there is a forum for Texans to submit sightings of native plants they find? I live in Medina County and 2 years ago had a rare native plant growing in my yard ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Taxonomy question concerning the Family Commelinaceae June 17, 2014 Hi I have a question. Many people refer to plants differently, I have always used the Genus and species and rarely the family name..it is very confusing .. when a professional uses a name that is a co... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Key for Verbesina virginica June 16, 2014 Are the stems of Verbesina virginica hairy? My in-laws have what I believe is Verbesina virginica (blooms in September here in VA) and another wild flower that blooms before it and is yellow. I'd l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Define monoculture from St. Croix Falls, WI May 30, 2014 What do you call a dense stand or carpet of one species of wildflower? Our botany professor told us but that was 40 years ago! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Should Rock Harlequin stay green all winter? May 28, 2014 I have a rock harlequin that came up in a area that had been disturbed. It came up last summer/fall and the foliage survived our tough winter. I can not find anything about this plant staying green al... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can Condalia hookeri (Brasil or Bluewood condalia) self-pollinate? May 07, 2014 Good morning Mr. SP, I see from your description of Condalia hookeri that this species has bisexual flowers. Do you know if it is self-incompatible? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How are full sun, part sun, etc, defined? April 08, 2014 Hello, I have a question about sun requirements. Does saying something needs "full sun" mean a particular number of hours? Does it mean 6 or more hours / day? 8 or more? Is there an agreed upon n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Water-saving strategies of drought-tolerant plants April 04, 2014 Although "drought tolerant" plants are fairly well documented, it's clear that many different strategies are responsible, such as a huge root system (like Mesquite). I'm interested in learning the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are Prunus minutiflora male and female flowers on different plants? March 12, 2014 I have a Prunus minutiflora and have recently learned the male and female flowers are on separate plants. How can I determine if I have a male or female plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for DNA sequencing of Opuntia species March 04, 2014 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I am trying to do a Opuntia speciation study, and rather just identifying the species by morphological comparison, I would also like to go a little deeper by comparing the DNA... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are leaf margins of Chilopsis linearis toothed from Austin December 22, 2013 Are the leaf margins of Chilopsis linearis, Desert Willow, smooth or toothed? The NPIN descrip says willow-like. Most willows have toothed leaf margins. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for records of Pleistocene flora of Central Texas December 16, 2013 Part of your answer to a question from October 12, 2010 is "..moreover, the evidence goes even further back than the 1800s. Studies of Pleistocene deposits from Central Texas showed ancestral cedar p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Do bees visit cedar trees and other conifers for pollen? November 30, 2013 I was wondering if honey bees or native bees visit cedar trees for pollen? and what about other conifers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Which one is huajillo and which one is guajillo? November 19, 2013 Recently I attended a field trip to the Leonard Garden at the Kleberg Institute in Kingsville. I took a picture of a tree that was referred to as Tenaza or huajillo. Later I took another photo of a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Student research on fire-resistance plant labels from Garden Ridge TX November 13, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, I'm a 4th grader at Garden Ridge Elementary in Comal County. I am researching fire resistant plants. Can you please tell me if most plants' tags say whether they are fire r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Ruffly foliage on native lantana November 05, 2013 A native lantana in my front yard has developed ruffly foliage on one stem. It looks like miniature broccoli. What can this be? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| School project on acid rain effects on plants from Austin October 18, 2013 Hi I go to an Austin high school and I am doing a project on how acid rain affects plant growth. I am wondering if you know any plants that would be more or less susceptible to acid rain for this proj... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why plants grow in very hot or very cold areas from Edison NJ October 06, 2013 Why can some plants grow where very cold or very hot? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant-related skin rashes from Round Rock TX September 23, 2013 I have been plagued with persistent skin rashes this summer, and it is happening with plants that have never bothered me before, for example, red yucca. The dermatologist says it is a plant reaction,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| White and red Turk's cap and possible crossing September 18, 2013 I have had some white Turk's cap for several years. This year, some red Turk's cap has appeared among it. I have the red in another location. Will the red become dominant if I leave it among the whi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What are the differences between Arbutus xalapensis, A. unedo and A. marina August 29, 2013 One nursery lists madrone trees as arbutus uneda compacta and arbutus marina. The other lists it as arbutus xalapensis, which is the only name I can find in the data base. There is a very large pric... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fragrance in fragrant plants. August 21, 2013 Why are some flowering plants known for fragrance not fragrant or as fragrant? Is it a nutrition deficiency or just the plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How does Styrax youngiae differ from other Texas Styrax species? August 18, 2013 How does the Styrax youngae differ from other Texas styrax? Where can I find a description of all the Texas styrax trees? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What is a Demaree Rose? August 14, 2013 Have been told the Apache Plume is the Wild Rose after which the Wild Rose Pass north of Ft. Davis was named. However, other research indicates it was the Demaree Rose. What is true and are there ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Fragrant Texas wildflowers from Waco TX July 28, 2013 Hi, I'm interested in looking at any Texas Wildflowers which have attractive aromas which I can distill essential oil from. Any ideas? Thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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