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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| Plants for wet soils in North Carolina October 03, 2009 I'm looking for evergreen plants (shrubs or ground cover)that will tolerate wet conditions for the zone 8 area of North Carolina. The local garden centers here do not stock these types of plants, eve... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Poor drainage in clay soils in Langhorne PA September 15, 2009 Our backyard has very poor drainage, to the point of up to 3 inches of rain can sit until it is evaporated. Talking to neighbors, they informed us that there use to be a terrain that ran through our ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for a pond bank in Gladwin MI September 13, 2009 Our acre-size pond bank is sloped and high maintenance--needs mowed. We have lots of deer. We would like to plant a low-lying ground cover to eliminate mowing the bank--any suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Water-loving native plants for Pottstown, PA September 11, 2009 I live about 40 miles west of Philadelphia. I am looking for a water absorbing evergreen tree/bush/plant that I could plant in the rear of my yard. We get a small stream every good rain and the back... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native water plants for bio-retention pond in North Carolina July 22, 2009 I am looking for North Carolina native plants that can take part shade and very wet conditions (bioretention pond environment). Any suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for retention ponds in Grand Haven, MI July 21, 2009 I am president of a condo association. We have three retention ponds on the property. From two of them we pump water for irrigation so the water level goes up and down. We are going to try to stabiliz... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for edge of intermittent stream July 05, 2009 I have a friend in Washington DC who is having runoff problems. She is having a drycreek installed. What kind of plants are native to her area that will withstand flash flood and intermittent dry co... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Understory plants for Lake Forest IL June 21, 2009 We have a large mostly hardwood lot in Lake County. It floods when it rains hard and remains damp most of the year due to the amount of shade and clay based top soil. Besides the hardwood trees and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for a littoral zone in Fort Myers, Florida June 05, 2009 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, What native plants would you recommend for the littoral zone on a pond in Fort Myers Florida? Damon's Mom View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for a bioswale in Irving, TX March 30, 2009 Mr. Smarty Plants, what plants would you recommend for a bioswale in the north Texas (Dallas) area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pond plants that ducks will NOT eat March 27, 2009 What kind of pond plants are there that ducks will NOT eat? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting instructions for horsetail March 10, 2009 Re: Equisetum hyemale L. Canuela, Horsetail, Scouring rush, Scouringrush horsetail I bought a 1-gal Equisetum hyemale for my seep/pond. In searching the web, I find conflicting planting instructions... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Request to use images from Image Gallery February 04, 2009 The Nueces River Authority is publishing a riparian plant guide and we would like permission to use one or more of your plant photos. Can you direct me to a person or process for this. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for under a fountain splash line in California January 29, 2009 What plants should we plant under our fountain's splash line in our Mediterranean style courtyard? The area will get wet from the fountain's splashing and have "full" sun. We are on a rock ridge... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowers for a pond area that will not hold water January 07, 2009 We are in area code 77437 in the Coastal Plains of Texas. We have a 1 acre pond that will not hold water (dug to deep into the clay)and we would like to fill this pond with flowers (maybe wildflowers... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for pavilion over fountain in Washington State December 26, 2008 I have a tall fountain in a 7 foot square which is surrounded by pavers. Inside the 7' square there is about a 2' mulched soil bed around the center fountain and an iron type pavilion that goes up h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Overwintering a Juncus effusus in Great Neck, NY October 23, 2008 Can I over winter a juncus effusus spiralis indoors or must it be kept outdoors? Whether indoors or outdoors, what is the proper way to keep it alive during the winter months? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for wetlands in Illinois September 21, 2008 I have a home that is just above a wetlands in Northern Illinois. It is on a river and the wetlands go from bone dry to under 3 feet of water. The shoreline is beginning to erode where there are no tr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is the Obedient Plant a bog plant? August 16, 2008 I purchased 2 obedient plants at a farmer's market in Michigan. As I was unfamiliar with this plant, the merchant told me it did well in full sun. It was just what I needed. When I got home I look... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for edge of pond June 23, 2008 We live in Atlanta, Texas. My husband built a beautiful pond that is almost an acre in size. We are fortunate in that one side of the pond is covered by trees and a natural ground cover that keeps w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for retention pond in Michigan June 10, 2008 What native plants would you recommend a for a southeast Michigan retention pond perimeter? Also are there native water plants that help algae control? The pond is about 75x30 feet and ranging from ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| The origin of Juncus effusus var. Big Twister May 04, 2008 Juncus effusus, var. 'Big Twister' We're trying to figure out the nativity of this thing, and whether it is safe to plant in our very wet rain garden. Thank you for any assistance... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Effect of herbicides on frogs December 10, 2007 I live in a planned development adjacent to a natural waterway that contains native and non native plants. It also is an amphibian habitat with many frogs. The landscape manager has sprayed the ar... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tradescantia as a water plant June 13, 2007 I have a spiderwort plant, and when I found it at the nursery, it was in water by the pond plants, (I had no idea what kind of plant it was at the time) So I bought it, took it home, and repotted it w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Companion plants for irises April 22, 2007 Hello...what do you suggest as a companion plant for irises? I live in the Texas Hill Country. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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