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topicquestion
Halophytic biofilter plants native to Wisconsin
July 12, 2013
I am trying to design a biofilter using native WI plants. These plants must be very salt tolerant and low maintenance (as this biofilter will be used to treat storm water runoff from a salt shed), so ...
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Does Nolina lindheimeriana have separate male and female plants
June 30, 2013
RE: NOLINA LINDHEIMERIANA You show several pictures, with flowers & with seed pods. I have one plant that has only flowers and one that has only seed pods. Are they male and female? I don't see ...
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Do the male or female dogwoods have berries?
June 11, 2013
Does the male or female dogwood have berries?
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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...
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Blooming but not berrying American bittersweet from Pendleton IN
May 29, 2013
I have had a bittersweet plant for years, it blooms but not berries. How do I tell if it is male or female so I can buy the opposite? It is currently blooming.
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Differences in prostrate Mimosa species
May 27, 2013
There are apparently a lot of little pink puffy-flowered prostrate plants with thorny stems and sensitive leaves: Mimosa microphylla, Mimosa roemeriana, Mimosa strigillosa. How does one tell them apar...
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What are the native plants in Kerrville, Texas?
May 22, 2013
What are the native plants in Kerrville, Texas?
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Fragrant Texas wildflowers
April 10, 2013
Hello! I am researching native Texas wildflowers and I am looking specifically for flowers with a pleasing aroma. Is there anyone who has made a list that includes how the flowers smell? Do you kno...
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Native vs Non-native Insect Host Plants
March 14, 2013
My understanding of a host plant is that it is a plant that an insect will lay its eggs on. Is this correct? If this is so then can a cultivar be a host plant for the same insect? I have read Mr. Doug...
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Experiment to detect presence of sugar in cellulose from Routt CO
January 28, 2013
My teacher ask me to plan an experiment to detect the presence of sugar in cellulose. I know that cellulose are abundant at the stem, and sugar here is glucose. I wonder how to conduct this experiment...
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Failure of flameleaf sumacs to produce fruit
January 09, 2013
Our two flame leaf sumacs produce none to little fruit. Both are about 4 years old, quite large, healthy looking; flowering this year was very good, but no fruit. What keeps them from producing fruit?
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Seaweed seed dispensers in Long Island, NY
January 03, 2013
Several months ago, we found what are probably seaweed seed dispensers. They are dark brown, hard, four sharp points,section where it would have connected to the main plant and an open hole where the...
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Comments on white-flowered Mountain Laurel from Austin
December 23, 2012
Following up on the August 23, 2012, question from Driftwood about the white-flowering mountain laurel, I have found a few more leads to explore. First, there are four more images of white-flowering m...
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Liquid glucose as substitute for sunlight from New York City
December 16, 2012
I am curious to find out whether liquid glucose can be poured as water for mung bean plants as substitute for no sunlight. Is the possible? Will a specific amount of glucose need to be used? Can liqui...
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Dyes from native North American plants
November 29, 2012
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I have been working as a textile designer for many years and am now interested in harvesting native North American plants in order to create natural dyes. Which plant ...
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Fasciation on Texas Mountain Laurel
November 21, 2012
Do Texas Mountain Laurel normally have a staghorn looking growth hanging on them after blooming in addition to the seed pod clusters or could this be a mutation?
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Native New Jersey plants to remove iron water from Lawrenceville NJ
October 20, 2012
Are there any native New Jersey plants that can remove iron water
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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...
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Information about Turk's Cap for school project
October 19, 2012
Hello, my name is Veronica. I am doing a Species Study on Turk's Cap at Clint Small Middle School in the Green Tech Academy. I would like to learn more on my Native Texas Species. I am contacting you...
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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...
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Is Bushy Knotweed carcinogenic from West Grove PA
September 06, 2012
Is the invasive Bushy Knotweed / PORA3 / Polygonum ramosissimum toxic to the extent that the spores are carcinogenic?
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Petals on Black eyed Susans not developing from Austin
September 04, 2012
I just read Barbara Medfords response to undeveloped petals on perennial black eyed susans and was disappointed not to find a better explanation. I have had the exact same thing happen to mine, and I...
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Bird nest fungus in Central Austin, TX.
August 21, 2012
Hi, I live in Central Austin and have different types of ground cover (such as silver pony foot)in my garden and have noticed huge patches of bird's nest fungi in between and under. Every time it ...
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How to distinguish male and female grape vines in Gage OK.
August 19, 2012
Are there male and female plants for wild grapes? If so, how do we tell the difference?
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How Do Persimmons Breed - Starkville, MS
August 14, 2012
Thank you for your earlier response about the genders of native persimmon trees. We have two, a much larger one that has borne fruit for years and years and a smaller one that I'd just assumed was m...
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Is it safe to eat vegetables grown in the same bed as foxgloves?
August 12, 2012
I have foxglove in my flower beds and have planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and cantaloupe in the flower bed and now I am concerned about the shared root system. Also, my tomatoes are touching the...
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Difference between class notes and size notes on website
August 09, 2012
I enjoy using the native plant database in planning my flower beds. However, I don't know the difference between Class notes and size notes. Can you help me out?
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Forestiera pubescens blooming in July
August 07, 2012
I have a lot of what appears to be Forestiera pubescens. They are covered with the dark blue/black berries and flowers. Apparently they are blooming again in the middle of July. I live about 35 mile...
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Growth on top of Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower)
July 03, 2012
I grow purple coneflowers in my garden. ONE plant has something growing on the top of each cone. I would like to know what it is but I don't see how I can add a photo to this post.
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Leaf motion in still air in ON
June 25, 2012
What causes a tree or plant to dance when the other plants around it are still and no wind???
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What is white sticky substance in the Mandevilla vine?
June 15, 2012
When I was watering my Mandevilla one of the vines broke and there was a white, sticky substance that came out of the vine. I was just curious as to what that is.
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Weak stems on asters and ironweed from Woodbridge ON
June 06, 2012
My question is in regards to plants flopping over. My smooth asters and ironweeds never seem to have strong stems. Is because the soil is too fertile or maybe too shallow?
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Question about male muscadine plants
June 01, 2012
I have 9 muscadine plants, 3 females and 6 perfect flowered growing in my yard. A plant started growing under my porch lst year and it grew through the spaces between the boards. It grew nicely. It fl...
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Can foxglove poison be transmitted to the soil and taken up by another plant
May 29, 2012
Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, Recently I discovered a Foxglove that had come up after being planted 2 or 3 yrs ago. Next to it I have some medicinal Feverfew growing. (They were so close together I suspec...
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Variation in leaves for Vitis mustangensis
May 17, 2012
Hi, I am doing a sculpture of a mustang grape vine in limestone. In seeking a good leaf image I notice that there are both roundish shaped leaves and highly divided or "fingered" shapes on your sit...
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Difference between Convallaria majalis and Convallaria majuscula
May 17, 2012
How do you tell the difference in the native convallaria from the European species?
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Carolina wolfberry blooms but doesn't produce fruit
May 10, 2012
I have had my carolina wolfberry for 2 years now ( I got it at the Wildflower center), it seems to be doing well, creeping all over the flower bed with some branches on the ground up to 6 ft long. It ...
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Restoring the woods in Central Austin.
May 08, 2012
I live in Austin, south central between Red Bud trail close to the low water bridge and Bee Caves road. My question: I want to make the wooded sections of my yard attractive. They have filtered sun...
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Beans growing under artificial light from Vernon CT
May 04, 2012
What bean plant will grow the best under a flourescent,spot gro light,green transparent light,or Natural light and why.What caused it to grow like it did?
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Kerrville Soil for Vegetables
May 03, 2012
We are moving to our vacation home in Kerrville, TX and plan on putting in a vegetable garden on the sunny north side of our house. I'm assuming that your answer to the person inquiring about "soil...
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Phytoremediation Plant List for St. Louis MO
April 19, 2012
My goal is to transform urban blight plots (some up to 1/4 acre) into viable community gardens having healthy, living soil as their foundation. To this end I am researching phytoremediation (thanks...
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Seeds of Castilleja purpurea
April 12, 2012
The seed photo for Castilleja purpurea is incorrect; seeds are black and poppyseed size.
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Flowers for days on end in California
March 30, 2012
What are some plants or flowers that I can grow "all-year" in California?
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Native plants of Arizona from Chandler AZ
March 26, 2012
What are some native plants of Arizona, and how do survive in the heat?
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Are Cuscuta spp. (dodders) in Cuscutaceae or Convolvulaceae?
March 13, 2012
USDA plant database has the species Cuscuta in the CUSCUTACEAE FAMILY; you have it in the CONVOLVULACEAE FAMILY. Which is correct? Thank you.
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Black Walnut tree in LA
March 12, 2012
I was just given a black walnut tree and am trying to determine where to place it. I’ve read on your site that “Certain plants will not grow under Black Walnut trees because of the juglones that the ...
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Manzanita struggling in CA
March 01, 2012
I live in Monterey, CA and I have had a manzanita (either Dr. Hurd or Mt. Hood) growing successfully in my yard for about 4 years. This fall all the leaves turned brown and brittle. I am not sure if d...
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Plant cloning or genetic engineering
February 23, 2012
Can you take one genome (strain) and take a clean cut and put onto another plant another strain?
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Plants for a hillside in WI
February 18, 2012
I live in Wisconsin and am currently doing a research project on plant variation on the north and south sides of a hill. I was wondering you could suggest any books to me that would address this issue...
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More information on plants native to Taylor County TX
February 13, 2012
Re: Thursday - September 15, 2011 QUESTION: Am looking for direction to a complete list of plants native to the Abilene, Taylor County, Texas area (trees, shrubs, grasses, cacti and other plants ...
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topicquestion

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