Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
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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| 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 | ||
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