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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792 Results: 10 25 50 100 per page

topic	question
Grasses or Grass-like Shrubs Trees Vines	Plants for a children's playground April 20, 2015 We have extensive native gardens on our 2 acre property, but my children want a garden of their own with plants they can hide under and that are good for imaginative play. Are there any native plants... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like	Groundcover for Slope in NC under Black Walnut April 20, 2015 Please advise on some plants for a difficult to mow 30% slope, near Asheville, NC. We have partial sun, plenty of good rich topsoil, and plenty of rain. The key issue is that it is under and near the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Soils Shade Tolerant Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs Shrubs Wildflowers	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
Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs Wildflowers	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
Groundcovers Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Lawn Options for Saginaw, MI April 09, 2015 I'm looking for a low maintenance, high traffic lawn alternative. Will Texas Frogfruit handle the winter? My yard is small so covering it is an option. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Pests Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Chigger Control in Habiturf from Plano, TX April 08, 2015 We converted our back yard in Plano, Texas to Habiturf last spring/summer and have a nice lawn; however, for the first time since we have lived in this house for 32 years, the lawn was full of chigger... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Groundcovers Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Native Grasses for Houston, TX April 06, 2015 What native grasses can I use for my lawn in Houston, TX? It appears that Habiturf is not recommended for our climate. Is there another variety of seed available yet that I can use to start a small ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Plant Laws Deer Resistant Grasses or Grass-like Wildflowers	Critter-Proof Native Plants for Virginia Lawn April 02, 2015 We live in a gated community that was part of the Wilderness Battlefield during the Civil War. Our home is on a narrow lot, fully treed except for a postage stamp-sized lawn at lake side. We have de... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Substitute for Habiturf in Fullerton, CA March 27, 2015 Will habiturf grow/thrive in 92835 zip code? I think Im on 10a or 10b hardiness. I have clay soil. Thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Grasses or Grass-like Wildflowers	Shallow Rooted Wildflowers for MA March 25, 2015 Do you have any suggestions for wildflowers that would be safe to grow on a capped landfill site? They would need to have roots no deeper than 24 inches. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Erosion Control Grasses or Grass-like	Grasses for a pasture in Hays County, Texas with horses March 20, 2015 I intend to sow grass seed over a few acres of pasture on which I'll have a couple of horses in Driftwood, TX. I'd like to know what variety of seed(s) would be most beneficial to the land - and th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Meadow Gardens Drought Tolerant Erosion Control Groundcovers Grasses or Grass-like	Groundcover for Road Frontage in NC March 12, 2015 I need a fast growing ground cover or perennial flower for 1,000 feet of road frontage about one acre that will choke out weeds. I do not want to do much ground prep or any ground prep. I do not want... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Planting Grasses or Grass-like	Quick and EZ way to cover bare spots in lawn with grass March 09, 2015 We recently had to dig up our lawn to have a pipe replaced. We now have a long strip of our yard that is either dug up or covered by some of the dirt that is dug up. We want to fill in the grass. W... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Water Gardens Pests Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Deterring geese from a wildflower garden February 28, 2015 I've moved into a home with a large pond beyond the grass yard. I intend to plant a sunflower house with lots of other plants as part of the structure, such as flowering vines, clover, mint and thyme... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Water Gardens Problem Plants Grasses or Grass-like	Plants to replace Phragmites australis (Common reed) in Cedar Ridge Preserve February 25, 2015 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I live in the DFW area and volunteer at a preserve (Cedar Ridge). We are constantly battling the common reed, Phragmites australis, around the pond. I am wondering what shou... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Invasive Plants Grasses or Grass-like	How to eliminate Sawgrass from a small lake in Lindale, TX? February 23, 2015 We live on a small acre lake (about 65 acres) and the majority of the lake is surrounded by what the locals are calling saw grass. From the description on the website, I believe they are correct. The... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Groundcovers Grasses or Grass-like	Strip Groundcover for Austin, TX February 19, 2015 I live in a condo in Austin (near N Lamar and North Loop), and am on the HOA board. There is a small strip of land along the back of the units, used mostly for access for maintenance - it ranges from ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Erosion Control Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs Shrubs	Native border plants to stop erosion February 18, 2015 I need native border plants to assist in stopping soil erosion due to water run off from rain and the Catawba River. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Plant Lists Meadow Gardens Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Native Plants for Year Round Interest February 16, 2015 I'm involved in a paradigm shift from traditional bedding plants (petunias, zinnias, begonias, etc.) to native plants. I realize that native plants have natural life cycles where they look pretty bad... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Planting Soils Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Turf grass for a sandy site in central Texas February 16, 2015 I want to plant grass over an old sand volleyball court in our back yard in Bastrop, Texas. What is the best way to go? Adding top soil and buffalo grass seed or try St. Augustine? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Planting Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Planting wildflowers and ryegrass in RIverside AL February 07, 2015 Love the name, enjoyed a visit last spring. We repaired a retaining wall about 300 ft. and want to plant wildflowers on a strip 5 ft wide. Slope gentle to 1 in 3.5. Hauled in topsoil for fill. Can ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Erosion Control Groundcovers Grasses or Grass-like	Phytoremediation using Paspalum vaginatum February 06, 2015 Do you know of any on-going research using Paspalum vaginatum as the prime plant (monoculture) for use in phytoremediation. Utilizing this plant in Vegetated Swales, Spreader Swales, Grassy Swales,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Plant Lists Grasses or Grass-like Wildflowers	Plants for a Narrow Fence Line in TN February 03, 2015 I have a very specific and difficult planting question. I have a narrow strip (about 2 feet at the widest) between my back privacy fence and a wire fence that marks the edge of my property. It is dire... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Xeriscapes Drought Tolerant Groundcovers Grasses or Grass-like Herbs/Forbs	Plants for a sunny, sandy site in Central Texas January 22, 2015 I live between La Grange and Schulenburg, Texas. My soil is sandy. Full sun, no trees. I am a senior citizen with limited funds who is allergic to Rye and Bermuda grass. I tried planting a lawn of... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
Turf Grasses or Grass-like	Native Grass Lawn For Georgia January 20, 2015 Grass in Atlanta when I was little (I am 50 years old and have lived in Atlanta most of my life) was of a fescue variety. Bermuda grasses were considered "rich person's grass" when I was young. M... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer
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