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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| Pollinators for Palm Springs, CA June 18, 2015 Just moved to Palm Springs, California. Hot and dry, desert region. What bee and pollinator-friendly plants would do well with full afternoon sun? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Poolside plants for East Texas June 18, 2015 What are the best plants, shrubs, ornamental trees, etc. for poolside planting in East Texas? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| A blue-eyed grass with salmon-colored blooms? June 16, 2015 Has anyone heard of a blue-eyed grass variety that has salmon-colored blooms? I have a photo if needed. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting wildflowers slated for destruction in Buda, TX. June 16, 2015 TXDOT has recently informed our church that they will be taking a sizeable amount of natural area fronting a ranch road for lane expansion. We are devastated to lose an are we have planted and nurtur... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Aquatic Plants for a Small Pond in Missouri June 11, 2015 We have a small backyard pond (4' x 5' x 2' deep) with a shelf for marginal plants, and a pump that feeds a nice little creek and waterfall into the pond. We don't really want fish, but we'd lik... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Evolvulus nuttallianus native to Central Texas and Deer Resistant? June 11, 2015 The website doesn't have much information about blue daze (Evolvulus nuttallianus. Is this plant native to Central Texas? Is it deer-resistant? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Canna glauca invasive? June 10, 2015 How aggressive is Canna glauca? I'm interested in planting one near a gutter downspout, but I'm afraid it will crowd out groundcovers (heartleaf skullcap and fall obedient plant) in the two location... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Why does newly transplanted Brazos Penstemon look bad June 09, 2015 I bought Brazos penstemon from a nursery as well as several other drought resistant plants. I have noticed new buds on the salvia and blanket flower and changes in leaf color on the kaleidoscope, but... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why is fall the best time to plant Bluebonnet seeds? May 29, 2015 Bluebonnet plants drop their seeds in late May or early June. Why is it recommended to broadcast Bluebonnet seeds in October which is 5 months after the plant drops its seeds? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure of TX bluebonnets to thrive May 28, 2015 We have had extraordinary luck with bluebonnets growing in our driveway of decomposed granite--until last year and this year. The bluebonnets seem to be drying up and wilting away. The ones in other a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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