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 big pots by pool in Austin August 14, 2012 Could you please suggest some plants to put in big pots out by my pool? They will get lots of heat and sun. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Removing faded flowers from plants in Georgetown, DE July 28, 2012 I bought a chamase rose quartz that was in bloom. now the buds are dead, should i remove them or just leave them on the plant. they wont just fall off. and the tips of the plant has new growth. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID of succulent from Flagler Beach FL July 08, 2012 file:///C:/Users/CircuitCity/Downloads/All%20sizes%20%20%20baby%20plants%20growing%20on%20succulent%20leaves%20%20%20Flickr%20-%20Photo%20Sharing!_files/3901143728_dcf227ea85.jpg I have a succulent t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Foundation plants for Albuquerque. July 01, 2012 Hello, I live in Albuquerque. I am looking for some native/xeric low water usage plants for foundation plants for my home. They will be foundation plants for a two story home that has a large ponde... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for Century Plant in Wilmington NC June 24, 2012 Where can I buy a Century plant in the Wilmington NC area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for 100 gal. pot by pool from Ft. Worth TX June 23, 2012 What North Texas evergreen — or combination of evergreen plants, bushes or trees — could thrive in a huge, 100-gallon clay pot (immovable!) that is situated in full sun year round in an exposed area n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Saving non-native sempervivum from accidental weed killer application from Nashville TN June 15, 2012 How to save a 'Live Forever' plant that had weed killer put on it by mistake. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| No blooms on Spineless Prickly Pear in Austin June 07, 2012 I've had a spineless prickly pear planted in the shade for about 3 years. It has done just fine there, but has never bloomed. I recently moved it to a full sun location(I'm in north Austin) and cove... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with Strawberry Hedgehog cactus from Temple TX June 03, 2012 I had purchased a Strawberry hedgehog Cactus (echinocereus stramineus) a few years ago from the Wildflower Center's annual plant sale and planted it then. It has now started to brown from bottom to t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Repotting non-native Agave ghiesbreghtii from Spring TX June 03, 2012 I've recently purchased an Agave ghiesbreghtii, and will need to re-pot it soon. I have some cactus soil mix as well as a few rocks to put in the bottom of its new pot. There seem to be roots comi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for 16th floor of condo in Panama City Beach, FL May 30, 2012 My husband and I have a COSI on the west end of Panama City Beach, Fl. I love plants and flowers and live out of state. Our condo is on the 16th floor and directly on the gulf. What type of plants ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pollinator to Arkansas yucca from Arlington TX May 15, 2012 Thank you Barbara for your answer. However, my Arkansas yuccas bloom every year, but do not set seed. I am asking for the name of the moth that pollinates them, or other native plants that serve as ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pollinating moth of Arkansas Yucca from Arlington TX May 15, 2012 What is the pollinating moth of the Arkansas yucca. I have Desert willows which is the larval host for white-winged moth, but the yuccas are still not seeding. What other larval hosts plants can I p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why has yucca not bloomed from Sacramento CA May 03, 2012 I looked for an answer to my question on your list but did not find one. We have had a yucca plant that has never bloomed since we planted it about 8 years ago. I has grown tall (6-7 feet) and we ha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Spineless prickly pear from Lago Vista TX April 30, 2012 We visited Lady Bird Johnson Center yesterday. I was impressed with the spine less prickly pear cactus. Is it a native or a hybrid? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Preserving the agave bloom for decoration from Sedona AZ April 28, 2012 I have an agave century plant which is starting to bloom. Is there some way I can preserve the flower as a decoration piece? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Sunny and shady lawns from Austin April 28, 2012 My front yard has a large bed surrounded by a mix of St. Augustine and Bermuda grass. Last summers heat killed off about 90% of the St. Augustine, which we would like to replace anyway to conserve re... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Transporting a plant on airplane from New York City April 21, 2012 Can I transport via airplane a jade plant from New York City to Colorado in my suitcase? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seeds of agave attenuata from San Diego CA April 16, 2012 After the agave attenuata bloom dried up there are seeds like thing hanging on the foxtail; do I leave it until it dies or do I chop that down. Are those seeds for propagation. The leaves of the plan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants of Taos and Los Alamos NM from Houston April 07, 2012 Hi, Mr. Smarty Plants, can you recommend a guidebook for the native plants of the Taos/Los Alamos region? (I'm most interested in forbs.) I'll be headed there in May--is there anything I should es... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with claret cup cactus in Austin April 07, 2012 I have a claret cup cactus in a terra-cotta pot that bloomed beautifully a few years ago but hasn't since. This year, it set about a dozen buds and looked poised to bloom like crazy, but two weeks la... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Sap from agave causing reactions from Edgewater FL April 06, 2012 Not only was I stuck with the century plant thorns and needle like ends when I was digging up its pups, but I also broke the carrot-like root of a few when I was transplanting and got the white sap on... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Insects on yucca from Ft. Worth TX April 05, 2012 I have a plant labeled Yucca Soft Leaf recurvifolia that I planted about 5 years ago,& was beautiful until last summer when it became infested with thousands of fast, tiny, dark insects. I sprayed wit... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Black fungus on cholla cactus from Austin March 25, 2012 How to get rid of black fungus on cholla cactus? Cut it off? And treat with what? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of non-native Selenicereus Antonyanus from Warwick RI March 24, 2012 I just purchased a Selenicereus Anthonyanus, Rick Rack Cactus unrooted. I have searched on the web of the proper way to root the plant and have had no luck except it says easy rooting but not how to r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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