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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| Cedar sage not blooming in pots in Austin September 14, 2012 I have cedar sage (salvia roemeriana) in containers on a dappled-shade apartment patio in Austin, TX. This is their first season here, transplanted in May (it's now September). All the plants have be... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dying branches on Texas Mountain Laurel from Kempner TX September 14, 2012 The branches on my Texas Mountain Laurel are very dry and brittle. The leaves are also starting to die. The tree has been in my yard for six years and prior to that it sat wrapped in burlap for ov... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with new transplant non-native weeping willow from Washington DC September 10, 2012 I replanted a very young BABY weeping willow tree and now it looks as if the leaves are drying up like it is dying. I know that it could also be in shock from the new transplant or it can be dying ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Varieties of Ceanothus suitable for Illinois September 07, 2012 Ceanothus Velutinus is the smell of western Montana, my home, to me, and I have relocated to Illinois. I miss it so much that whenever I go home I bring back a jar of ceanothis leaves and keep th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting a blue spruce from Pingee Grove IL August 30, 2012 Transplant 18" Blue spruce from 5 gal. bucket to ground. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting a non-native rose from Akron OH August 30, 2012 Can I transplant a rose plant that I have in sunny area to an area that will be partially shady? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting Texas Mountain Laurel to transplant to Dallas August 29, 2012 My daughter would like to incorporate a tree planting ceremony in her wedding in Texas. The seedling would be planted in a pot for a few years and later transplanted in a yard when they buy a home. Wo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting a redbud in Boerne TX August 29, 2012 Hi there, My question is when is it safe to transplant a native tree? I have a redbud tree come up in m flower bed I want to try to transplant it instead of cutting it out. It is very young - maybe 4-... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with Silverado Sage in Pearland, TX. July 28, 2012 Hi, We have three Silverado Sage bushes we planted last year. They did great during the drought. However, this winter they had a severed leaf drop of mostly just the centers of them. These cente... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplant shock in pecan tree in Garner NC July 19, 2012 I transplanted a pecan tree about 3 weeks ago & been watering it 3 times a day. The leaves are turning brown & crumbly before I water it. After I water it, the leaves are brown but I can scratch the t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Suffering Yaupon in Austin July 14, 2012 I am in the Austin area and I planted a Pride of Houston Yaupon in my back yard in March. It is in full sun. Lately the leaves have been turning pale green and now they fall off the tree upon touchi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of Asclepias tuberosa June 18, 2012 Re: Asclepias tuberosa, "butterfly weed" bush -- I have a bed in a mix of Shoal Creek well-drained caliche, soil, and some enrichment of mulch that gets almost full sun and low water. After 4 yrs a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Poverty plant overgrown in Austin June 06, 2012 We have a poverty plant that is too big for its space in our yard. We like it and want to keep it. Can it be transplanted easily? What about pruning it. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| A year and a half old live oak tree is doing poorly in Nevada, TX. May 08, 2012 We planted a live oak tree about a year and a half ago. the tree is still rather small. The leaves are of a vibrant green, however the leave have only grown through the center of the tree and not out... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting and germination of Pride of Barbados in Adkins, TX April 02, 2012 What is the root system like of the Pride of Barbados? I have a lot of new plants coming up in my beds from seeds. Can these be transplanted to a new location easily without damaging the plants? If... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Replacing Drought-Stricken Cedars January 16, 2012 Hello, I live in Williamson County on a couple acres. We have several dead cedars as a result of drought; we're reluctant to cut them down because many of them provide a friendly barrier between us... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplant shock in desert willow in Austin November 09, 2011 We planted a desert willow 5 days ago. It came in a 15-gallon pot but the tree is quite large (~10 ft) with a wide spread. We watered thoroughly during planting but have not watered since (light rai... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting Blueberries in NY State November 03, 2011 I would like to ask you about transplanting blueberry bushes. When can I move them? 3 of them are at least 10 years old and haven't done well in their current location. I have built a fence to keep t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rescue of roadside plants in Ashe Co. October 27, 2011 I live in a wooded area off of a dirt road that is going to be widened and paved by the state. There are many native plants and shrubs growing on the side of the road in areas that will soon be pavem... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| transplanting Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris) October 25, 2011 Behind our house is a huge grotto with a spring flowing through it that runs into a creek. Because of the constant flow of water, there are many of the Maidenhair Ferns (Adiantum capillus-veneris). I ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Baby mountain laurels are ready to move, in Lockhart Texas October 19, 2011 I want to harvest the baby mountain laurel plants which are growing under a large bush. What height would be best for the young plants survival? Please recommend a soil mixture for the pots. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Planting Anacacho orchid tree in Llano, TX October 05, 2011 Re Bauhinia lunarioides: I'm trying to pick a good site in Llano Co for a 5 gal tree I received as a gift. Your plant database says part shade. The arid zone trees publication you reference in a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Cenizos browning in Houston October 01, 2011 After this horrible drought, I am committed to xeriscaping with native Texas plants. The few hibiscus that survived have been transplanted into pots and are thriving. I bid the tiny boxwoods a fond fa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Has overwatering harmed cherry laurels in Austin? September 27, 2011 I am so upset. I know we've been having a terrible drought this year in Austin, and I've been trying to balance water conservation with protecting our recent very large investment for massive lands... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need shrubs to plant alongside a swimming pool in Tampa, FL. September 05, 2011 I Have a 3 1/2 foot gap between my pool screen and back fence. This gap runs about 30 ft. long. I would like to place small trees to look beautiful and to grow 6-8 ft. high to screen out my neighbor... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Replacing mature Arizona Ash trees in Austin August 26, 2011 Mr. Smarty Plants, I have 2 very large, very old Arizona Ash trees in my yard. I want to remove them and replace them with something like Cedar Elm or Chinquapin Oak. The problem is that they are t... 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 |  | |
| Transplanting a redbud in August from St. Louis MO August 09, 2011 I have a 4' tall redbud that needs to be transplanted before the end of August because of construction on our house. Can this be done without killing the tree? Can I take a cutting from the tree and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplanting young Nolina texana plants August 05, 2011 Mr. SP, I am looking for information relating to transplanting some young Nolina texana. Esp. the best time of the year and whether to replant directly in the ground or .. Thanks, View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Lantana isn't blooming in Leander, TX. August 03, 2011 I bought a small potted New Gold Lantana about 2-1/2 weeks ago. I planted it in full sun and covered it with mulch. The few original flowers have fallen off. Although, I see a couple of new buds, ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native Norfolk Pine suffering in Corpus Christi TX August 02, 2011 About ten yrs. ago I transplanted my Norfolk Pine into the ground in my backyard. With all the frosty weather of 2010/2011 the Spring brought a browning/dying of a lot of the Norfolk Pines in this are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native house plants stressed from Allen TX July 30, 2011 I have three house plants that were plants I received from my father's funeral services. They were healthy for about two years and then we added some soil and now they are turning brown and appear t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Newly planted Burford Holly doing poorly in Austin, TX. July 25, 2011 About a month ago I bought dwarf burford holly. Now they have slowly started getting brown leaves that eventually fall off. Some of the plants have white spots on the ends. I usually check my plant... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible freeze damage in Wax Myrtle from last winter in Bastrop, TX July 25, 2011 Our Wax Myrtle is about 7 yrs old and in good shape until this past winter when we had several very hard freezes. Now several of the large branches are dead and more are dying each month. We have not ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Garden problems from Centreville VA July 23, 2011 Plants die, trees won't grow. I've replaced the soil (6") twice. Replaced grass twice and planted new plants and tree. After two yrs, the tree is still the same size and the flowering bushes nea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sooty mold on Texas Sage in Silsbee, TX. July 20, 2011 I just saw two questions from December regarding black sooty mold appearing on leaves of Texas Sage. My Texas Sage is two years old growing in the original, well-draining large pot it was planted in ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Should I purchase wax myrtle plants as liners or pots July 18, 2011 I want to buy some wax myrtle over internet.Place has wax myrtle "liners" They look very thin. Will these bushes grow quickly or should I spend more $ for 1 gallon plants. Just need a hedge fairly q... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Leaves on 3 year old maple turning brown in Lebo, KS. July 16, 2011 Hello, one of our five Maple trees which is is 3 yrs. old now, we saw a week ago that the leaves started turning brown and dropping. My question is: Will the tree survive this and return healthy next ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possumhaw losing leaves in Liberty Hill, TX. July 11, 2011 I have two female possumhaw trees and one of them is losing its leaves. I planted both of them in February and they were doing very well, getting green and full. What's happening? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Leaves browning on non-native willow from in Cumbla PA July 10, 2011 We recently planted a willow tree. A lot of the leaves turned yellow and some turned brown, but it is also getting some new buds. my question is, should I take the dead leaves off or leave them there... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Caterpillars ate my Sophora in La Mesa, CA. July 06, 2011 Before I noticed what was happening, my newly-planted 1 foot tall Sophora secundiflora was eaten by caterpillars. It now has no foliage. Do you think it will leaf out again? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Post-bloom period care for Pink evening primrose June 28, 2011 Hello, I live in Denton, TX. I introduced pink evening primrose as a ground cover to a xeriscaped section of my property a few years ago. I have pretty much left it alone and let it do its thing an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need help with my Mountain Laurel in Sugarland, TX June 22, 2011 Texas Mountain Laurel - My plant's leaves are turning yellow and falling off. I don't know if this is caused from over watering or under watering. I have skipped days of watering to see if it will h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Transplant shock in Mountain Laurel in San Antonio, TX June 03, 2011 I planted a 2 ft. tall Texas mountain laurel a month ago. Some of the leaves have turned very yellow and some of them are falling off. The plant doesn't look real healthy in general. I did add s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yellowing leaves on non-native podocarpus Cupertino CA May 22, 2011 I recently planted a podacarpus granular and over half the leaves are turning yellow some are dead. What could be the problem? Is there something I can feed it? What should I do? I planted four & the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Huisache tree is not thriving in Kerr County, TX. May 18, 2011 Our landscaper planted a Huisache tree in our back yard (Kerr County). It was planted about 3 years ago. It has grown considerably (about 15 feet tall)but it has never flowered and is always late in... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Drought tolerant Plants and moving Wax myrtles in Austin April 30, 2011 Mr. Smarty Plants, What are the most fire resistant and drought tolerant plants for caliche soil in Austin area? I am considering relocating or removing my wax myrtle shrubs because they are ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Carolina Jasmine failing to turn green in Pleasant Garden NC April 26, 2011 We planted Carolina Jasmine last year and it did great. This Spring we only have about 2-3 small green leaves beginning on the vines. We did not cut them back in the Fall. Is it time for them to be tu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Care of recently propagated Century Plant from Litchfield Park AZ April 24, 2011 To germinate some century plant seeds I put them in dirt and put the pot in a tray of water. Now, I have 3 sprouts about an inch tall and they came up about an inch apart. Question is, how should I w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How do I save my recently transplanted yaupon holly? April 20, 2011 Recently transplanted (two weeks ago) a yaupon holly tree from one part of the yard to another. Leaves are beginning to turn yellow and fall. What can be done to save this plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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