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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| Groundcovers for North Central Texas May 27, 2014 I have a very large area that is in Palo Pinto County, Texas. We tried to plant grass but it never established. I'm looking for a ground cover that does well in shade (lots of oak tees) and is semi d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Drought tolerant vine for Austin, Texas May 17, 2014 What kind of drought-tolerant vine can I plant outside my screened in porch in Austin, Texas, that will stay on a trellis and not grow into the screen? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Replacing St. Augustine grass from Dallas TX April 10, 2014 Dear Mr. Pants, we are replacing dying St. Augustine grass in a small, sunny back yard with ground cover. What are your recommendations for a drought-tolerant evergreen ground cover? We will till a... 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 | ||
| Plants for a Narrow, Dry, Shaded Site in Georgia April 03, 2014 I am writing from Valdosta, GA. Could you please suggest three perennial shrubs and/or plants that flower at different times of the spring and summer? Also ones that can be planted in a 2 ft. wide s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting Suggestions for a Lake Home in Wayne County, MO April 03, 2014 We have a lake home in Wayne County, MO at Lake Wappapello. The soil is very rocky. We recently cleared an area around our home of assorted dead trees, some cedars and what seemed like tons of vines. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Mulching tree root in San Angelo, TX April 02, 2014 San Angelo, Texas is in a drought stage. Will it help our trees to mulch the base of them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Raingarden Plants for Brownsville, TX March 14, 2014 I'm a Landscape Architect in South Texas and I'm implementing raingardens and vegetated swales in my projects. What native plants could be used in these gardens/water runways. They would need to res... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Plant for a Sunny South-facing House Wall in Tucson March 01, 2014 I have a problematic block wall on the south side of the house and I what a plant to soften the look of the wall. I tried butterfly bush which I'm told died from of bounce-back heat from the wall. I ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Cenizo dropping leaves from Corpus Christi TX February 20, 2014 Leucophyllum frutescens:I planted a Texas sage hedge in September of 2012. One of the plants is dropping its leaves. It is situated at the corner of an L-shape at the end of drive and corner of road. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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