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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| Identification of vine in New York May 15, 2012 I have a flowering vine that grows against my home and I'm not sure what it is, but it's beautiful with a delicate scent. The flowers look like clusters of mini purple pea pods hanging downward befo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to propagate Clematis texensis in Austin, TX? May 14, 2012 How do I propagate a Clematis texensis Buckl. Scarlet leatherflower from the seed pod? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Unusual vine in San Diego County, California May 12, 2012 Dear Mr. or Ms. Smarty Pants, I came across an unusual vine winding through a young Zumaque growing off the edge of a mesa in San Diego (coastal sage scrub). The small (fingernail-sized)leaves rough... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need care instructions for Cardiosperma halicacabum in Little Rock, AR> May 11, 2012 I'd like to find out how to cultivate & care for a balloon vine/heart seed vine/love in a puff vine which I found growing wild in my yard (in Little Rock, Arkansas). There seems to be very little in... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowering vine for shade in Southern California May 11, 2012 Flowering climbing plant for shade in Palm Desert, CA. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Restoring the woods in Central Austin. May 08, 2012 I live in Austin, south central between Red Bud trail close to the low water bridge and Bee Caves road. My question: I want to make the wooded sections of my yard attractive. They have filtered sun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Rash resulting from cutting trees in NC. May 08, 2012 My boyfriend was cutting some trees yesterday. He had thorns in his hands after he was done, and today he has a rash on his legs, a fever and he feels like throwing up. Can you tell me if its symptoms... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vines for Texas Panhandle May 07, 2012 I need a fast-growing vine for our pergola that does not attract bees or wasps. It will be in full sun in the panhandle of Texas--two hours north of Amarillo. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Eradicating trumpet vine runners in Austin April 29, 2012 How do I eradicate trumpet vine runners from my lawn? Will it kill my pecan tree? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Should Ipomea alba be planted in a yard in Spring, TX? April 23, 2012 I would like to know if there is any reason not to plant Tropical Morning glory (Moon Flower-Ipomoea alba)in my yard. Is it toxic or aggressivley invasive? I am looking at a space in my side yard wi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Purchase source of Coral honeysuckle from New Boston TX April 21, 2012 I have been unable to find a supplier in the listings on your website for Lonicera Sempervirens. Many of them had a variety of different plants listed under this name but none were the 20' species. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Folsom CA Wall-cover April 13, 2012 I live in Folsom, CA and I have an ugly cinder block wall that I want to cover, I want something that is low maintenance and that is going to grow and spread into my grass. The only one i can really t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vines to Complement a Fence April 10, 2012 I have a 3' weathered picket fence that I want to plant a flowering vine on part of it. The vine must be perennial, tolerate full sun and low watering. Is there anything besides trumpet, cross vine, ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Looking for a supplier for Mustang Grape vine in Austin, TX> April 02, 2012 I'm looking for a supplier in Austin that will have a Mustang Grape Vine seed or plant for purchase. I found Natives of Texas in Kerrville, but if you know of a supplier in Austin, that would be pre... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native vine to replace non-native Ficus pumila creeping fig April 01, 2012 What is a good evergreen alternative to ficus pumila to cover a rough-textured concrete wall in Houston TX? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Controlling Passionflora Incarnata propagation March 20, 2012 Would a cinderblock raised bed, 8 inches in height, be sufficient to contain the roots of passiflora incarnata and keep them from traveling to places where I don't want the vine? Are the roots deepe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Bignonia capreolata (crossvine) poisonous? March 18, 2012 I need to know whether any part of Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) is poisonous. Am thinking of planting it at an Elder Day Center for people with memory problems and the director insists - no toxic ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants in bloom in April in Stuart FL February 24, 2012 Can you tell me which plants I might reasonably expect to see in bloom in April of this year? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vines for Poolsides February 22, 2012 We would like some color along the pool, but do not want anything with flowers because of the pool. Are there any non-flowering vines that will grow in full sun in Arizona? We have 2 trelis' that we ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for roadside in Gallatin TN February 19, 2012 What native plant would you suggest that we try to establish on 100 feet of road frontage which gets full afternoon sun? The soil is mostly clay, and it's on a rather sleep hill about 10 feet high. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wisteria and Non-Poisonous Native Vines February 15, 2012 I'm from central Texas and I'm wanting to plant a native vine that will work well around the public, mainly kids. It's a mostly sunny trellis that makes an arch. I'd like to plant the native Wiste... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Edibility of peppervine berries from Madison MS February 09, 2012 I am following up on a question I've posed to many well experienced foragers and naturalists regarding the pepper vine plant or Ampelopsis arbor. There are many conflicting stories regarding the edib... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| When to prune Texas Coral Honeysuckle in Iredell, TX? January 31, 2012 When can I prune Texas coral honeysuckle? It needs to be pruned so that it will fill out. Also, how much do I prune it? Thank you, View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Plant identification of vine in Tennessee January 06, 2012 I have this vine that grows in my backyard and on the vine there are green balls about half the size of a hedge apple and inside balls are a bunch of seeds. The deer love to eat these. Do you know wha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is there a vine in Indiana with poisonous thorns? December 27, 2011 I was cut at the left big toe by a brownish/red thorny vine while tracking thru dry grass near the bridge exiting 278. I'm from Indianapolis, in 46208. Was wondering if I was exposed to a poisonous v... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Florida hanging vine with occasional red tongue-like leaves December 01, 2011 I live in south Florida and I used to grow a hanging vine that had green slender leaves and an occasional red leaf that looked like a tongue that protruded horizontally from the plant. do you know wha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen Vine for San Antonio Trellis November 23, 2011 I have a new trellis at the end of my patio on which I want to grow an evergreen vine. The area is fairly shady. I had settled on Carolina Jasmine, but read that it is very toxic which is worrisome ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vine with red berries in North Carolina November 04, 2011 I found a plant/ vine pink teardrop with red berries in the Pusgah Forest in North Carolina and no on knows the name of it. I have a photo, can you help? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Blueberries & Raspberries for Walla Walla WA October 17, 2011 Which blueberry and raspbery plants grow best and suvive winter in Walla Walla Washington View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification of a potted vine in California October 04, 2011 Hi, we have a tropical vine growing in a pot on our patio that my wife bought at the county fair. We've had it for a couple of years but I just noticed it now has a sort of pear like fruit on it. It ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of shrub looking like honeysuckle in Odessa TX October 02, 2011 Bought a shrub in Pecos, TX yesterday. It looks like honeysuckle but the brightest flat orange I have ever seen. Flower and greenery looked like honeysuckle but when I looked on the Internet under or... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Passiflora 'Purple Haze' a host to Gulf Frittilary butterflies? September 14, 2011 Is the passion flower purple haze (pasionaria purple haze) a host plant to gulf frittilary butterflies as is the passiflora incarnata passion flower? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seed planting of Crossvine from Orlando FL September 12, 2011 Seed planting of Bignonia capreolata - Tangerine Beauty. I have seed pods. Do I plant how deep and should I put in a plastic bag with a wet papertowel in the refrigerator and let it sprout? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of Crossvine from San Antonio September 03, 2011 I have a new Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) that has a single seedpod so far. What is the best way to plant it for the best chances for success? It is still green and a very hot August. Do I plant ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Stumps of fallen oaks in Hurricane Irene from Newton PA September 03, 2011 Two large red oaks fell in the woods in our yard in Newtown PA due to Hurricane Irene. The trees have been removed, but the stumps remain. Please can you recommend some fast-growing, attractive, nativ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification of vine in Virginia September 01, 2011 Have vine that has small 3 pointed leaves somewhat like a grape but only an inch or 2 long. Adult fruit is black or purple egg shaped and only 3/4 of an inch long. Fruit is single in the middle of th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Foundation plants unlikely to provide good shade for rattlesnakes in TX August 28, 2011 I would like to plant native grass around my new home in the country near Mason, TX. My concerns are the rattlesnakes that are common here, and if they could "hide" in the native grasses since they ... 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 |  | |
| Questions about Clematis virginiana in Austin, TX. August 26, 2011 Hello! I have a few questions regarding Clematis virginiana. Is it scented? Does it attract birds and butterflies? Do only female flowers get the feathery plumes? If yes, how do I know if ... 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 |  | |
| Pruning time for Lonicera sempervirens from Pflugerville TX August 08, 2011 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, When does the Wildflower Center prune its Lonicera sempervirens? 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 |  | |
| 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 | ||
| Alamo vine not blooming in Liberty Hill TX July 16, 2011 My Alamo vine is not blooming. It is planted in full sun. The vine looks healthy. Should I fertilize, if so, with what. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to prune wild mustang grape vines. July 11, 2011 Now that my mustang grapes are harvested. When can I trim them out of the tree top and redirect them to an arbor where I can reach them next year? The main vine is at least 3" across. The vines from... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of vine in Louisiana July 06, 2011 I have two vines in my backyard. I've looked at pictures of each and they both keep coming up "virginia creeper." However, both are different. Neither causes an allergic reaction. One has leaflets ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of a vine with purple flowers July 06, 2011 I'm trying to identify a vine-like plant growing in my yard to determine if it is a weed or should be kept around. It has small purple flowers with a small yellow center, looking like a mini honeysuc... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Failure to bloom of Campsis radicans in Elkins WV June 28, 2011 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, We live in a very cool climate of West Virginia, in the mountains, and it seems impossible for our Campsis radicans vines to flower! Perhaps the growing season is too short? W... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Failure to flourish of Trumpet Creeper in Leesburg VA June 28, 2011 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants: Late last year I planted a trumpet creeper vine to grow on my fence and attract hummingbirds. It gets full sun, is in average soil and gets adequate water. I put a few daylilli... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is hummingbird vine poisonous to parrots? June 26, 2011 Is hummingbird vine poisonous to parrots? I am setting up vines and plants around the aviary and would like to use this vine if it's not poisonous. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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