Native Plants
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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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| Season to plant Pacific Wax Myrtle from Fallbrook CA July 25, 2013 Would like to know which season would be the best to plant Pacific Wax Myrtle in Fallbrook, CA area? I presently have invading bamboo, which I want to get rid of. Thank you! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-blooming yuccas in Brooklyn CT July 14, 2013 I have outdoor yucca plants that don't flower - - in full sun. Why? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Member of Taxus genus native to southern Illinois from Granite City IL July 12, 2013 Is there a native Southern Illinois similar to Taxus baccata? I live in Granite City IL and am looking for a native plant/scrub that stays green year round about 2-3 feet tall to it helps insulate the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for heavy clay in Sonoma County, California July 10, 2013 Hi, I live in Northern California, Sonoma County, and would like to transition my front garden into mostly native plants. Trouble is, my soil is clay, yicky, heavy clay, and some of the natives I've ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vine for full sun in Las Vegas NV July 05, 2013 Looking for vine to thrive in full sun in Las Vegas, NV. I tried Cape Honeysuckle and Star Jasmine and both died within 5 days. The leaves were burnt. What's your suggestion? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| User comments on soils from Austin July 02, 2013 You had a question this month about chlorosis in a Mexican plum in Bellaire. You correctly, in my opinion, answered that the problem was most likely overwatering. However, I just wanted to point out a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What grows in Tampa FL July 01, 2013 Please let me know what grows in the backyard in Tampa, FL to provide screening and privacy? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-flowering plants in Scottsdale AZ July 01, 2013 I have three plants that are supposed to do well in Arizona but mine are not flowering. The yellow bells and orange jubilee I have get full sun, drip watered 3 x a week for 1 1/2 hrs (at 4am) and are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Growing non-native Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Central Texas July 01, 2013 Hi. I recently moved into a remodeled home in Taylor, TX, and have experimented with Cabernet Savignon vines before. I have a 1/2 acre and a chain-link fence I want to put vines on. (I have a book o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Nassella tenuissima for Woodland Hills CA June 30, 2013 Good afternoon, I wanted to purchase some already grown Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima) and was wondering how often and for how long I would need to water said grass on a scheduled sprinkl... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants tolerant of high levels of sodium and sulfur June 26, 2013 I would appreciate suggestions for small shrubs and flowering plants that can survive the sodic soil conditions and western sun exposure of my front beds. We have had great difficulty finding anything... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Garden instructions from Austin June 12, 2013 I'm a beginning gardener putting in some new landscaping in my front yard in north central Austin, TX. The yard faces almost due east, so it gets full sun until early afternoon, when the house's sha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problem With Vegetable Garden Soil June 09, 2013 We live in Liberty Hill on 25 acres and we are working to restore native grasses and plants. We are ardent supporters of the Wildflower center. I say this because my question is not "typical" of wh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Asphalt beneath surface of soil in Austin June 03, 2013 About 3-4 inches below the surface of our yard is what appears to be asphalt. It comes out in chunks a few inches across and it's all about 1.5 inches thick. I have no idea what it is; my best guess ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native, invasive creeping fig in Webster TX May 26, 2013 We've recently moved into a new home in the southeast Houston area. The back of our property has a long concrete wall (gets quite a bit of sun), which we thought we could cover with a spreading vine.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is it OK to remove soil around oaks - Austin, TX. May 24, 2013 I have several oaks trees (one live oak + burr oaks) from 15'-35' in height. They seem healthy. A local arborist says they were planted too deep and that the soil around them needs to be excavated t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowers under pine trees from Elkhart Indiana May 02, 2013 I have a number of pine trees at the back of my lot and would like to plant flowers under the tree. What can I plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for steep slope in Pittsburgh PA April 25, 2013 I have a similar question to one from SC. I live in Pittsburgh, PA. We have a steep slope behind a newly built in pool. What type of plants can I put on the hillside to hold the soil. It gets a ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Erosion control on slope from Columbia SC April 25, 2013 We are in the process of having a new home built in Columbia South Carolina. Part of the front yard has a steep slope starting approximately four feet from the corner of the house and running to the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Will arctostaphylos grow in Austin, from Murrieta CA April 23, 2013 I currently live in Murrieta, CA at 2,000 ft. We planted 800 native plants on our slopes so they were extremely drought tolerant. One of my favorites is the Arctostaphylos family that will take the fr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with Blackfoot Daisy from Lewisville, TX April 23, 2013 I planted a row of Melampodium leucanthum (Blackfoot Daisy) last spring at the front of the front yard, next to the sidewalk. It's full sun, east facing, unamended black clay gumbo soil. I put mulc... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Death of Texas Betony and Blackfoot Daisy from Austin April 18, 2013 I have one small area that there are two plants - Texas Betony and Blackfoot Daisy withered and died eventually. Same kinds of plants are doing fine close by. It is my front yard close to walk way.I w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Chlorosis on plants in Austin April 09, 2013 I have several plants that have chlorosis on the new growth. I did an at-home basic soil test. Ph came out at 7.5 (the highest the scale went, so it could be higher than that). Nitrogen and phosphorus... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shade tolerant plants for Waynesville MO April 09, 2013 We moved to Waynesville, MO (gardening region 6) and when we bought our house there was a nice looking gardening area in front of the house. It is shaded moderately by a Redwood Tree and was "occupie... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Amending soil for butterfly garden in Houston April 01, 2013 My girl scout troop will be planting a butterfly garden at a middle school in Houston. In researching plants to use, we have come across some such as echinacea, rose vervain, galliarda and Texas gay... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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