Native Plants
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Smarty Plants Question Topics
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| topic | question | |
| Yellowing leaves May 06, 2008 What causes yellowing of native garden plant leaves? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Round growths on Mexican buckeye April 28, 2008 I have two pink buckeyes next to each other in my yard. The branches on one are completely covered in brown, round growths about the size of a pill bug. The other tree has none. Can you tell me what t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Red spider mites in native bluebonnets in Austin April 02, 2008 What would you do if the WFC bluebonnets developed a bad case of red spider mites? That is what has happened to many of mine here in Austin. I noticed them the other day and I must have been asleep be... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Reason for die-back of native Mahonia repens April 01, 2008 I have several mahonia repens plants planted on my property. This is the third spring for them and I have noticed that they look like they might be dying out. The leaves have turned brown and are cu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fasciation in Houston. March 29, 2008 I live in Houston and have had a rather large flower garden for many years. Most of the flowers are just gorgeous but over the last two or three years I have noticed that occasionally some of the flo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with Eves necklacepods (Styphnolobium affine) March 25, 2008 Mr. S-P, I urgently need your advice regarding two Eve's necklacepods that appear to be dying. They are in two completely different areas of my yard. One began leafing out and then the leaves sh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) refuses to bloom March 07, 2008 We have a Texas Mountain Laurel that gets full sunlight, but does not bloom. It is 4-5 ft tall & 3-4 ft wide & healthy. Is there anything we can do to make it bloom next year? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Improving blooming on mock orange March 03, 2008 I have a now 6 yr. old mock orange shrub in the garden which has never bloomed, darn it. I have fed, not fed, mulched, not mulched, sheared, not sheared. What gives? Will it ever bloom, or shall I ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Disease-resistant squash varieties for Central Texas February 03, 2008 Can you give me names of some disease-resistant summer squash varieties available in Central Texas? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Promoting bloom in Chocolate Summer Mimosa January 11, 2008 Please help! I purchased a Chocolate Summer Mimosa from one of our local nurseries. It was a brand new plant to them and they don't really know much about them. I planted it just 3 years ago as an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Use of surfactants with herbicide for water January 05, 2008 I read the article on frogs and the use of Rodeo. Your answer was correct, but to the best of my knowledge, Rodeo is approved for use near water only because it lacks a surfactant. When surfactant... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care of Ecuadorian penco century plant December 17, 2007 I was recently given a Penco, Century plant from Ecuador. It doesn't seem to be doing well. Two of the leaves have turned dark, then yellow, and died completely. Five remain, one seems to be dying as... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Black leaves and dying kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) December 16, 2007 My kinnikinnick has developed dark leaf spots and, in some cases the entire leaf has turned black or entire plants have turned black and died off. I'm worried about leaf spot, root rot and leaf gall... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Determine oak wilt in red oaks December 12, 2007 I am concerned my red oaks have oak wilt. How can I tell what is wrong with them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Navel orange disease problems November 14, 2007 I live in Glendale, Arizona. I hav a mature miniature navel orange tree. This year it has lost a considerable amount of leaves. Also the fruit all has a large yellow spot. It looks pitiful. What shoul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growth on trunk of Eastern Redbud November 14, 2007 My seven yr. old Eastern Redbud has a large patch (12x4inches) of white grey, shell or mushroom-like growth on the trunk. The bark has a wide split so the growth is on the layer of wood inside the sp... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Loss of blooms in potted plants in Hawaii November 11, 2007 My lanai is in strong afternoon sun and no matter what "full sun" plants I try to grow they quickly stop blooming. Plumeria, Hibiscus, Echinacea, even Bougainvillea...they continue to grow but lose... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting care of Mayten tree (Maytenus sp.) November 06, 2007 I planted a Mayten tree 2 years ago. It's about 8 feet tall. The trunk is about 1-1/2 or 2" in diameter. The earth around it sunk and now there is a "bowl" that fills with water in the rain. I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flameleaf sumac problems October 18, 2007 I have three flameleaf sumacs, which were planted last December. One is doing very well, but two are losing their leaves. First, black spots appear on the leaves, then the leaves turn yellow and wilt,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Nutrient imbalance in Tecoma stans October 18, 2007 I have two Tecoma stans on the north-east side of my yard. They have grown very tall (5') but have not bloomed all summer. Last summer they bloomed profusely. Any idea what the problem might be? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Newly planted anacacho leaf browning October 15, 2007 I have just put my anacacho orchid into the ground and its leaves are turning brown and falling off. Is that normal for this time of year, or have I shocked it? What can I do to ensure its health? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Salt from water softener affecting roses. October 12, 2007 I have a water softener at my well and wonder if an accumulation of salt over time is causing problems for my roses. After several years of doing really well the branches turn brown and eventually die... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care for heritage roses October 07, 2007 Dear Mr. SmartyPlants, I took some cuttings from an antique rose my grandmother had.I had good luck , had some of them grow for me. Some of them have blooms and others are long and lanky stems but n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible disease on Eastern Redbud October 06, 2007 Our Eastern Redbud appears to be suffering from our recent drought. The leaves are turning brown in July/August on a few branches. A few black spots appear on the leaves before they turn brown. Ot... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care and fruiting time of pumpkins October 06, 2007 This is my first year growing pumpkin. I have a good vine with flowers now & then, but I still don't see a little pumpkin forming. What am I doing wrong? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Lantanas failing to bloom, turning brown October 06, 2007 The lantana in my front yard does not bloom, is not overwatered but does get watered, leaves turned brown and plants generally have not grown. The lantana in the rest of the yard are in bloom and lo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care of Styphnolobium affine, Eves necklace October 05, 2007 I have an 18 yr old Eve's Necklace tree that is dying from the "bottom up". It has only a few leaves at the very top of the tree. I have, connected to the gutter, a rain barrel from which the exc... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care of Jade plant September 06, 2007 Hi there, I have a question and really appreciate your time helping me regarding my plant. I bought a Jade plant; 35 yr. old ; very thick stems and healthy at the time of purchase from a very si... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible causes for plant problems in East Texas September 06, 2007 I have been an avid gardener for over 35 years in Texas.I love the wildflowers and use them extensively in my 2 acre plot here in East Texas. There is something really bad going on with my garden: pl... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with purple passion flower September 04, 2007 Hello, I live in La Place, Louisiana (30 miles west of New Orleans). In March 2007, I planted a purple passion flower (maypop). During the spring it thrived and was covered with brilliant green le... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Oak leaf fall causing ivy damage August 28, 2007 I read the A/Q in the Austin American-Statesman Saturday, August 25, regarding the leaves falling now from the live oaks. I am experiencing the same thing, but it is the leaves of my post oaks that a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cool, wet summer effect on evergreen sumac August 28, 2007 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I have 3 evergreen sumac bushes that I planted as a screen between my house and my neighbors two years ago. They are located in a part of our yard that receives a lot of runof... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yellowing leaves on young bur oak August 06, 2007 I saw your response on 7/25 about leaves on mature live oaks turning yellow, then brown because of excessive rain. The same thing is happening to our young burr oak. Leaves are turning yellowish, th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Diagnosis of problem with Parsley hawthorn August 06, 2007 I have a Crataegus marshallii (Parsley hawthorn) that is about 3 years old. It leafed out this spring and flowered lightly. As the summer has progressed, though, the leaves have been dropping premat... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of worm feeding on chockecheery August 03, 2007 I am looking to find out what sort of worm looking insect, is commonly found on chokecherry trees. It has a turquoise appearance with yellow fingerlike projections on the back. It suctions onto the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Protection of American beautyberry in Pennsylvania July 30, 2007 I have had a beauty berry 2 years now. I trim it back in early spring and it returns beautifully. ...but no flowers this year and it's almost August. Last year, very few berries. Can you help? I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bloom color change in Choctaw Crape Myrtle July 30, 2007 In 2006 my wife bought a Choctaw Crape Myrtle from a local nursery. It had a tag from Greenleaf Nursery and had several blooms in the "correct" pink color. The plant was 5-6 ft tall. It has grown... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Overwatering and fertilization of whiteleaf manzanita July 27, 2007 Hi, I have an Arctostaphylos Dr. Hurd, southern California coast, several years old, 10 feet, that has a few large branches with yellowing and spotted leaves... also dropping many. causes? remedy? sh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Oak diseases as a result of wet, cool weather July 25, 2007 The mature live oak trees in our back yard have been dropping leaves just like they do in March, but this is July! Small to medium spots on the leaves turn brown before they drop. The veins of the l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-fruiting squash July 25, 2007 With all this rain in Dallas why would our Zuchinni and Yellow squash be beautiful and green but not produce any squash? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Recovery of damaged fuchsia plant in hanging basket July 23, 2007 I had a beautiful fuchsia plant hanging on my porch. The hanger gave way and the plant fell straight down into another flower bed. The fuchsia seemed ok. I put it back in the pot put up new strong ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Control of live oak suckers by cutting July 23, 2007 How do I control the Live Oak root suckers? At the moment we are cutting them as they come out of the ground. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplant shock in Dakota mock vervain July 23, 2007 We just planted some Verbena bipinnatifida in our back yard and when we planted it, it had purple flowers on it but now they've all dried up. We live in central Colorado and thought this plant was fa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Effect of unusual wet weather on desert willows July 23, 2007 I live in North Central Texas and have 3 beautiful Desert willow trees that are usually in full bloom. I've kept them pruned to form a nice full tree shape but now they are losing leaves and looking ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Repair of broken branch stump on pecan tree July 18, 2007 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, big fan. Recently one of my pecan trees had a large branch break off, about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. The strange part was there was no clear sign of what caused the damage, i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Juniper as host of cedar-apple rust July 17, 2007 Thanks for the helpful advice on the Eastern Red Cedar. I was wondering if you could ease my mind about a potential problem. I have read up on some of the native plants in my area in a very good book ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Advisability of trimming oak trees in August July 13, 2007 In general,what is your opinion on pruning oak trees in August? If it is positive, should the extreme moisture of this year affect the timing? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of gooseberry plant July 12, 2007 Grew up in Colorado, our yard and several near us had medium to large size deciduous shrubs that produced small (.25"-.375") red berries that were very tomato-like. Delicate with a thin skin, sligh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Recovery from transplant shock for bougainvillea July 12, 2007 I live outside of Phoenix. I just bought a bougainvillea in a large pot. It was doing nicely until I brought it home. I placed it in a sunny spot in my front yard inside of a large volcanic rock that ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplant shock in Vacccinum corymbosum (highbush blueberry) June 28, 2007 Blueberry plants - We planted Northland and Blue Crop, 2 of each. All 4 plants have some leaves that are turning brown. This starts at the tip of the leaf, eventually encompasses the entire leaf, a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Restoration of mistflowers suffering from wet season June 27, 2007 I have planted gregg's mistflower in a bed that receives morning sun and afternoon semi-shade. It was beautiful and covered with blooms and butterflies this spring, but suddenly has become brown and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Saprophytic fungus on mulch June 22, 2007 I just did some major landscaping in my west Austin, TX backyard. I added many native plants and mulched all of the new beds. I did this just before the heavy rains in the past two weeks. I now not... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vascular wilt in Rhus virens June 22, 2007 Hi Smarty: Our evergreen sumac grew beautifully this spring (it is about 2 years old -- we got it at the LBJ Wildflower Center plant sale). Then its leaves suddenly drooped last month (May) and turn... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Whitefly infestation in roses and salvia June 15, 2007 Several of my outdoor plants (including Knockout roses and salvia) have a white residue on the stems. If I touch it a white bug jumps off. The residue can be wiped off or sprayed off, but the little... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Danger of oak wilt infestation in trees with storm-damaged limbs June 15, 2007 A recent severe storm in Southwest Austin broke large branches and trunks on many Live Oaks in my neighborhood, including my next door neighbors'. Can this invite Oak Wilt? I'm worried about my tree... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Stem canker or leaf fungus in Morella cerifera June 14, 2007 Dear Mr.Smarty Pants: The upper half of our wax myrtle, which we had allowed (with artful pruning) to reach about ten feet suddenly died this spring (it dropped most of its leaves and didn't sprout... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transplant shock in Achillea millefolium May 28, 2007 I had a clump of yarrow in my garden and was worried that it would become very aggressive to the other plants. I decided to transplant it into large clay pots to control it. Immediately after the tran... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rose canker in roses on cedar posts May 24, 2007 While visiting the wildflower Center I saw that some of the plants were growing on trellis' made of posts cut from cedar trees. I made a trellis for my climbing rose bush and where the stems touched... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Reason for decline of Morella cerifera (wax myrtle) in Virginia March 30, 2007 We have Wax Myrtle bushes in our back yard. They were about 2 feet tall when planted 2 years ago and now are about 7-8 feet tall. The leaves have turned brown and are dropping essentially denuding the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yellowing of fronds on Sago Palm March 27, 2007 Our Sago Palm now has all yellow fronds from the Winter frosts. Should they be cut off? Will the plant grow new fronds from the bottom to replace the ugly looking ones that are there? And why do I se... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Control of sooty mold from aphids in Crape Myrtle February 25, 2007 I have a crape myrtle in my front flower bed that has a sooty black substance on the leaves and trunk. I've done research and understand this is caused by aphids. My question is how do I get the bl... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with sunflowers in Florida November 03, 2006 I planted sunflowers on the west side of my house where I have previously planted them and they grew wonderfully. These new ones, however, seem to be dying, (less than 2 weeks). I bought the plants at... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yellowing of Thuja occidentalis leaves in early Fall in Maryland September 12, 2006 Mr. Smarty Plants, I am from Maryland. Please help. I have planted 23 Thuja occidentalis Smaragd in my front yard a few months ago. Height of about 3 feet. Most of the trees have turned golden brown.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems in germination of Asclepias tuberosa in New York August 31, 2006 I am a member of the Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College and I need information on Acleptis tuberosa. I am in USDA zone 6. Last year I planted fresh seeds purchased from Johnny's S... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Elimination of dirt dauber insects August 18, 2006 Hello - I live in the southeast part of Guadalupe Co. in the post oak savanna area. Do you have any suggestions on how to control dirt dauber dirt/mud nests. I know these critters are beneficial, bu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bark damage to Tulip Tree August 10, 2006 I have a tulip tree planted. It is about 9-10 years old. Two years ago the tree looked as though the trunk was cracked. Maybe hit by lightning after a storm. This year the bark on the side of tree... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Beneficial earthworms attacked by fire ants August 04, 2006 Is there a right way or a trick to releasing earthworms? I have a friend who has an abundance of earthworms in their soil so I took advantage of the situation. I released them in my freshly tilled gar... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Soapberry Transplant shock symptoms July 21, 2006 Please suggest a cause & cure for general yellowing of the leaves of Western Soapberry when planted in the ground 20 miles NW of Austin (thin, poor clay over limestone). Trees still in containers are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Salvia, geum transplant shock symptoms July 21, 2006 I need some help. I transplanted 2 xeriscape plants and they are not doing well. 1 is Pitcher Sage-sorry I don't know botanical name; the other is White Avens. The've grown a lot but all the leave... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Root rot and transplant shock in Texas betony July 13, 2006 Texas betony is supposed to be drought resistant but also likes to be kept moist, but I have had trouble getting it established. These seem to be undemanding plants I have had entire stems dry up and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Leaves falling off recently transplanted mature Mountain Laurel July 05, 2006 I have recently purchased a Mountain Laurel for my backyard landscaping. It is a fully matured ML standing over 9 feet tall by 6 feet wide. Since it was planted (about 6 weeks ago) it has been losin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mystery pest eating portulaca blooms July 02, 2006 I'm from Texas and I purchased some portulaca from a local nursery about three weeks ago and planted them in the front yard....with plenty of sun. Here's the problem. The foliage seems very health... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible reasons for yellowing leaves in seedlings in Ohio June 19, 2006 I have a problem with my seedlings. They start yellowing of one leaf then die. When I remove the leaf another one starts. I have photos. I have two differant seedling plants and they are experiencing... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Diagnosis of problems with Texas ash June 07, 2006 Our 15 year old Texas ash has less leaf production this year. It also has a small amount of algae on the trunk, and some of the branches have small white spots on it. Also, a few of the branches close... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible reasons for death of Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera) in Austin April 04, 2006 Several wax myrtles in my neighborhood appear to have died. Should we have the soil or tree checked for fungus, or should we atrribute the death to freeze or age of the trees? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems getting desert western US plant Stanleya pinnata to bloom in England March 13, 2006 I am having trouble getting my Princes plume (Stanleya pinnata) to produce a flower and then go to seed. Do you have any advice on triggering flowering in this plant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hibiscus wilt in Texas Star hibiscus November 10, 2005 I have a Texas star hibiscus on my deck. It flourished all summer, but not quite a month ago, the leaves turned yellow and fell off. Will it come back? What happened??? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cotton root rot in Purple Sage, Leucophyllus frutescens November 09, 2005 We had three Purple Sage shrubs in our front yard. They did very well for about three years and then this past year they just died. From what I have read they are pretty hardy so we are really stum... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on fungal attack October 12, 2005 I have three plants that have been getting fungus on their soil and I've tried to get rid of it by scraping it off, watering it less and more sunlight. It's two coleus and a begonia. I don't know... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on lantana in Dallas September 14, 2005 For several years, the lantana plants in my backyard in Dallas grew and bloomed all Summer and Fall until the first real cold snap. I've loved having a native plant that didn't need constant care a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fasciation on brown eyed Susan August 28, 2005 I have a flower in my garden that blooms every year. This year I have a very strange breed--there is a double flower. I do not know the name of the flower or what kind it is. I only know we nickname... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Controlling mildew on Gaillarida sp. August 11, 2005 Any suggestions for controlling mildew on blanket flower? It's spreading throughout my garden. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Oleanders June 11, 2005 I have 3 Nerium Oleanders. In the winter they come indoors, and are under grow lights. They are in big pots. We just put them outside on patio, and they don't look good. They still have green tips ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on mockoranges May 25, 2005 I live in Colorado where it is common to have 1 or 2 late frosts. I planted 4 littleleaf mockoranges (Philadelphus Microphyllus) 2 years ago and they are pretty much in full sun most of the day. I h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Treatment of mealy bugs on house plants April 19, 2005 I have some house plants that have a "fungi" that has appeared and spread from one to the others. I believe it is killing the plants. It is a white fuzz the is sticky to the touch. when i whip it... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Health of pond cypress April 08, 2005 Is there a common reason pond cypress trees vary greatly in their apparent health in similar conditions? I have 7 of them on my property, only two look healthy, one died and fell down recently. The lo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pustules on geranium March 28, 2005 I have a geranium that has developed oblong red/brown pustules/raised bumps on the undersides of the lower leaves. The foliage around the bumps is stil green but everything else has yellowed View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on arborvitaes March 28, 2005 Hello, I live in Allentown, PA and have a 7-foot arborvitae shrub in my backyard, planted in the corner of the yard where a wood fence intersects with the brick wall of the garage. I have had ma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Survivability of plants after freeze December 08, 2003 I have many beautiful plants that froze. Some were Lantana, Hummingbird Bush, Candlestick Trees, Esperanza, Some flowers, and Marigolds. I love all of my plants and flowers and I want them to grow bac... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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