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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| Are agaves really native from Pacific Palisades CA April 30, 2013 I just replied re agave issues, and mistakenly asked the source of your information. I see that you clearly noted it, apologies. I would note, however, that the Riverside area is very much a hot,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Runaway Agave Americana from Pacific Palisades CA April 29, 2013 We live near open space on Santa Monica Mountain State Park. Our Association planted non-native, invasive Agave Americanas all over the adjacent slopes, and we are trying to get the exploding pups and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Loss of bloom stalk on Yucca filamentosa from Scotch Plains NJ April 27, 2013 We have 3 Yucca filamentosa L. planted together, in NJ. A friend of ours was helping to remove the weeds, little did she know and removed the blooming stalk from the plants. By the time I saw, it was ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of Wood from Frying Pan Ranch Near Amarillo, TX (possibly Cholla) April 26, 2013 I'm doing research for a museum exhibition and have been told the "holey" piece of wood from The Frying Pan Ranch near Amarillo Texas is "chollya" but I can find no information. Can you help? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Protecting agave pups in San Antonio April 23, 2013 I would like to share the soon to happen bloom of two century plants on my property; they are sisters planted at the same time. I am sad to know they will die but will do all that I can to protect the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Black bugs on yucca from Aledo TX April 14, 2013 We have flowering yuccas that have thousands of small black bugs that seem to be hurting the plant. They are not on any other foliage in our beds. What do I use to get rid of them?? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Century plant leaves falling over from San Antonio April 10, 2013 Have a large century plant about % feet tall. The leaves are falling over. Can you tell me what to do to avoid this. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Failure to bloom of red yucca from Lago Vista TX April 09, 2013 I am in Lago Vista - trying to find out why I can't get my red yucca to bloom. The first year they were great and now after two or three years - no measurable spikes have shown up. HELP! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What to do with agave after it blooms from Phoenix AZ March 12, 2013 Hello! I have 2 century plants in the process of blooming. How exciting!! I've never really seen it before. Anyway, what do I then do with the dying/dead plant. Simply dig it up and trash it? T... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Saving frozen yuccas from North Carolina February 23, 2013 I live in NC and have 2 potted yucca plants on my deck. Every year I have brought them in for the winter. This year, someone told us that we could leave them out all winter. They began to die in the c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Thorny shrub for deterring break-ins in southeast Texas February 05, 2013 Looking for a very, very, thorny three or four foot tall shrub for in front of windows to deter break-ins. Considering Rosa Rugosa rose but it is not native. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Potential longevity of Century Plant bloom stalk from Marana AZ January 23, 2013 What is the potential longevity of a Century Plant stalk/bloom? I would like to use it in my yard for ornamentation. Will it last for weeks, months or years or decompose relatively quickly? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Prickly pear doing poorly on Long Island NY December 27, 2012 First, thanks for your reply on 11-3-12, re.Can a prickly pear cutting from Harker Heights, TX find happiness in Long Island, NY. The plants were set before a southern window in the attic, temp. ra... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Starting yucca from seed from Austin December 24, 2012 I would like to start a soft leaf yucca recurvifolia from seed. Is that possible? Also, I've looked for seed on dried flower stalks, and I'm not sure that what I'm finding is the seed, and I ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Preserving century plant bloom stalk from Sedona AZ December 16, 2012 I have the flower stalk from a century plant which I am using as a Christmas tree. Can you advise me as to what I should do to preserve it for future use? Should it be kept indoors or outdoors. Pro... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with mature Blue Agave in Kenya December 09, 2012 I have a mature Agave plant and there is a thin black liquid that looks like oil starting to appear on the leaves. The plant plant seems to be dying (from the bottom up). (The plant is a blue Agave an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Can a prickly pear cutting from Harker Heights, TX find happiness in Long Island, NY. November 03, 2012 Took a cutting of a prickly pear cactus from my daughters garden in Harker Heights, Tx. Her plants are 5'ht.& wt. Set it into a 10" pot with garden mix soil. Early July 2012, brought it home to Long... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Suitable container plants for Austin October 23, 2012 Hi, I see some info on native house plants, but not much. I live in an apartment that doesn't get much direct sun (maybe 2 hours a day) -- is there anything for me native-wise (Austin) if I have to h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information about prickly pear cactus for school project October 19, 2012 Hello my name is Case Danzeiser. I go to a middle school called Clint Small Middle School in Austin, Texas. We are doing a species study on a native Texas plants and animals. I choose to study the pri... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Smog-eating plants from Ft. Worth TX September 30, 2012 Looking for a list (40 >) of Native Texas Plants for Fort Worth Urban (Condo) that are Drought tolerant or (drip irr) and Fragrant and long blooming and eat up the city smog. Fort Worth is in a non-at... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Film growing on prickly pear from Austin September 28, 2012 We've just xeriscaped our front & back yards. Two of the spineless prickly pear cacti have a beige film growing on the paddles. The film is now moving further up the cactus, and one of the upper pad... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Winter care of succulents from Bethlehem PA September 09, 2012 We live in the northeast and we used succulents on our deck this summer because nothing else would survive the intense heat. How can I save these beautiful plants through a cold winter? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Replacements for photinia from San Antonio August 31, 2012 i just read your response to someone regarding Red Tip shrubs. You just saved me thousands of dollars ! I was getting ready to order over 250 of these to line my 2.5 acre fence line. What shrub would ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need plants to replace cedars on a 40 degree slope in Boerne, TX. August 28, 2012 My backyard is a roughly 40 degree slope that is covered with cedars. The slope is basically all rock, what can I grow here to replace the cedar which drink too much water. I would still like the area... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-native jade plant from Pauline SC August 24, 2012 Do jade plants grow in South Carolina; if, so where? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for big pots by pool in Austin August 14, 2012 Could you please suggest some plants to put in big pots out by my pool? They will get lots of heat and sun. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Removing faded flowers from plants in Georgetown, DE July 28, 2012 I bought a chamase rose quartz that was in bloom. now the buds are dead, should i remove them or just leave them on the plant. they wont just fall off. and the tips of the plant has new growth. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID of succulent from Flagler Beach FL July 08, 2012 file:///C:/Users/CircuitCity/Downloads/All%20sizes%20%20%20baby%20plants%20growing%20on%20succulent%20leaves%20%20%20Flickr%20-%20Photo%20Sharing!_files/3901143728_dcf227ea85.jpg I have a succulent t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Foundation plants for Albuquerque. July 01, 2012 Hello, I live in Albuquerque. I am looking for some native/xeric low water usage plants for foundation plants for my home. They will be foundation plants for a two story home that has a large ponde... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for Century Plant in Wilmington NC June 24, 2012 Where can I buy a Century plant in the Wilmington NC area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for 100 gal. pot by pool from Ft. Worth TX June 23, 2012 What North Texas evergreen — or combination of evergreen plants, bushes or trees — could thrive in a huge, 100-gallon clay pot (immovable!) that is situated in full sun year round in an exposed area n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Saving non-native sempervivum from accidental weed killer application from Nashville TN June 15, 2012 How to save a 'Live Forever' plant that had weed killer put on it by mistake. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| No blooms on Spineless Prickly Pear in Austin June 07, 2012 I've had a spineless prickly pear planted in the shade for about 3 years. It has done just fine there, but has never bloomed. I recently moved it to a full sun location(I'm in north Austin) and cove... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with Strawberry Hedgehog cactus from Temple TX June 03, 2012 I had purchased a Strawberry hedgehog Cactus (echinocereus stramineus) a few years ago from the Wildflower Center's annual plant sale and planted it then. It has now started to brown from bottom to t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Repotting non-native Agave ghiesbreghtii from Spring TX June 03, 2012 I've recently purchased an Agave ghiesbreghtii, and will need to re-pot it soon. I have some cactus soil mix as well as a few rocks to put in the bottom of its new pot. There seem to be roots comi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for 16th floor of condo in Panama City Beach, FL May 30, 2012 My husband and I have a COSI on the west end of Panama City Beach, Fl. I love plants and flowers and live out of state. Our condo is on the 16th floor and directly on the gulf. What type of plants ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pollinator to Arkansas yucca from Arlington TX May 15, 2012 Thank you Barbara for your answer. However, my Arkansas yuccas bloom every year, but do not set seed. I am asking for the name of the moth that pollinates them, or other native plants that serve as ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pollinating moth of Arkansas Yucca from Arlington TX May 15, 2012 What is the pollinating moth of the Arkansas yucca. I have Desert willows which is the larval host for white-winged moth, but the yuccas are still not seeding. What other larval hosts plants can I p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why has yucca not bloomed from Sacramento CA May 03, 2012 I looked for an answer to my question on your list but did not find one. We have had a yucca plant that has never bloomed since we planted it about 8 years ago. I has grown tall (6-7 feet) and we ha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Spineless prickly pear from Lago Vista TX April 30, 2012 We visited Lady Bird Johnson Center yesterday. I was impressed with the spine less prickly pear cactus. Is it a native or a hybrid? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Preserving the agave bloom for decoration from Sedona AZ April 28, 2012 I have an agave century plant which is starting to bloom. Is there some way I can preserve the flower as a decoration piece? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Sunny and shady lawns from Austin April 28, 2012 My front yard has a large bed surrounded by a mix of St. Augustine and Bermuda grass. Last summers heat killed off about 90% of the St. Augustine, which we would like to replace anyway to conserve re... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transporting a plant on airplane from New York City April 21, 2012 Can I transport via airplane a jade plant from New York City to Colorado in my suitcase? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seeds of agave attenuata from San Diego CA April 16, 2012 After the agave attenuata bloom dried up there are seeds like thing hanging on the foxtail; do I leave it until it dies or do I chop that down. Are those seeds for propagation. The leaves of the plan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants of Taos and Los Alamos NM from Houston April 07, 2012 Hi, Mr. Smarty Plants, can you recommend a guidebook for the native plants of the Taos/Los Alamos region? (I'm most interested in forbs.) I'll be headed there in May--is there anything I should es... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with claret cup cactus in Austin April 07, 2012 I have a claret cup cactus in a terra-cotta pot that bloomed beautifully a few years ago but hasn't since. This year, it set about a dozen buds and looked poised to bloom like crazy, but two weeks la... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Sap from agave causing reactions from Edgewater FL April 06, 2012 Not only was I stuck with the century plant thorns and needle like ends when I was digging up its pups, but I also broke the carrot-like root of a few when I was transplanting and got the white sap on... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Insects on yucca from Ft. Worth TX April 05, 2012 I have a plant labeled Yucca Soft Leaf recurvifolia that I planted about 5 years ago,& was beautiful until last summer when it became infested with thousands of fast, tiny, dark insects. I sprayed wit... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Black fungus on cholla cactus from Austin March 25, 2012 How to get rid of black fungus on cholla cactus? Cut it off? And treat with what? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Propagation of non-native Selenicereus Antonyanus from Warwick RI March 24, 2012 I just purchased a Selenicereus Anthonyanus, Rick Rack Cactus unrooted. I have searched on the web of the proper way to root the plant and have had no luck except it says easy rooting but not how to r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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