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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| Will catalpa roots damage a nearby swimming pool? July 13, 2013 Will a catalpa tree cause problems to my swimming pool? It is 8 feet away and I cut all the branches off every fall. It then grows back to about 6 feet in diameter an makes a great garden feature but ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of a plant with winged stems in Texas July 08, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, We live in Denton Texas & our backyard is being taken over by a very woody type weed or bush. The most distinguishing characteristic is that long thin vertical ridges or fins... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Eliminating and replacing Tradescantia species July 03, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, I need advice. I recently figured out my 10 month old dog is highly allergic to Tradescantia sp, commonly known as the Spiderworts, and "Wandering Jew" which covers about h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can oleander poison the ground below it? June 29, 2013 Can oleander poison the ground below it? Would it kill/damage grass or other plants below it? Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Killing regrowing shoots of a downed hackberry tree June 28, 2013 Hackberry plants won't die. You and others have suggested to cut the suckers or saplings to get rid of them. Over the years I have continued to cut the same saplings and the only thing I have now ar... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Poison Ivy in Semi-wetland Massachusetts June 27, 2013 You answered this question for Tennessee, but I would like an answer for a Massachusetts semi-wetlands area: What can I plant to discourage poison ivy, or at least make it very clear that it is poison... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of and how to get rid of plant in planter in Indiana May 17, 2013 We moved to Mooresville Ind. (Brooklyn area) 3 yrs ago. In one of the 12x12 planters out back, these one THINGS keep cutting back and spreading everywhere. They are tall, hollow stem, seems like ther... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cat eating yucca stalks in England May 07, 2013 Is it safe for my cat to eat yucca as she is being sick and its hard to stop her View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can fibrous roots of Chasmanthium latifolium damage house foundation May 03, 2013 Dear Mr.Ms. S-P, Can the fibrous roots of inland sea oats cause foundation problems? I was digging around my foundation and found a root about 1" in diameter that I am afraid might be from sea oa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Want to identify thorny vines growing in Charlotte Hall, MD April 25, 2013 I have vines with thorns growing in my wood, vining around the trees and killing them. It grows and vines go up trees of any height all the way to the top. It has green pointy leaves. If it doesn't... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bulletproof plants from Burleson TX April 18, 2013 I recently wrote you a question concerning planting a privacy plant consisting of wax leaf ligustrum on my country property. Your answer was immediate (thank you-I am impressed). I like the wax leaf ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dietes bicolor invasive from Brisbane Australia April 01, 2013 We have dietes bicolor growing in our garden. I am changing the type of garden and cannot seem to kill it. I've dugged it out, spent too many weekends pulling out every new shoot, used poison, but t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants to grow in shady area near a pecan tree in Maryland March 26, 2013 I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I have planted only natives in my front lawn. My backyard, which sports a pecan tree, fir, fig tree, and others I can't identify is dirt, just dirt. I have... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Smoking mint instead of tobacco from Fairfield CA March 23, 2013 I realize this is a stupid question, but i am a little curious about this. Anyway I heard more people are smoking mint leaves to help cure their addiction to tobacco and i was wondering if it is s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to control Yellow Woodsorrel in Habiturf? March 19, 2013 Last year we planted Habiturf in our front lawn and prepared the ground as directed with organic compost. This year we have an infestation of low growing yellow oxalis which we believe came in with t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Robinia pseudoaccia a good replacement tree for Shumard oaks in Austin TX? February 27, 2013 Recently two of our Shumard trees in the front of our house died. Both trees were small/medium in size having only been growing for 13-17 years. I've been reading about Black Locust trees which accor... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Controlling sandburs from Austin February 24, 2013 Hello, What is the best way to prevent sticker burrs from growing in a rocky bed with no grass. There are many other plants we want to preserve and a drip line to keep them watered. We have 2 small k... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need help fighting grass burs in La Grange, TX. January 22, 2013 I have 4 acres of wildflowers planted in my front yard. Unfortunately, grassburs have crept in & I need to control them with a pre-emergent. Will this keep the wildflowers from blooming? Also, would l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of vine with hair-like prickles January 04, 2013 Trying to find out what kind of vine I ran into yesterday while climbing a deer stand. While pushing limbs and vines down from around me, I noticed hair-like thorns stuck in my sleeves and hands. This... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Eliminating unwanted vine on arbor in San Francisco November 20, 2012 There is a vine growing on our arbor, it has sickle-shaped pods and is crushing the arbor, how do we get rid of it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of yellow-flowered plant with stickers November 06, 2012 I have yellow flowered plant taking over my lawn. I used weed killers last year and it has spread this year and still spreading. It has small burs (not as hard as a regular sticker bur but will stic... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| A method for killing nandina and ligustrum with herbicide October 19, 2012 Is there an effective herbicide that can be painted on the stumps of Nandina and Wax-leaf ligustrum to keep them from growing back? Thanks so much! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Exposed Tree Roots in Austin September 04, 2012 I have a large ash tree with a lot of mud at the top of a sloping yard. I want to build a small retaining wall with the ground leveled above. This would entail covering exposed tree roots with 4-18 in... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Male or female Jatropha curcas from Brownsville TX August 16, 2012 How do know the sex of a young Jatropha C. plant? how many weeks before you can tell a boy/girl plant ? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of plant that smells like oranges in Alpine, TX August 16, 2012 There are patches of flat bushy like plants in lawn, smells like orange. Areas may be 10" and spreading, but when pulled has small root. How can I get rid of this plant and what is it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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