Native Plants
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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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| Host plants to monarch butterflies in Starr County, TX July 14, 2005 I plant native larval and nectar plants that support the life cycle of the monarch butterfly here in the east; but, where can I find a list of native plants for my friends in the Tamaulipan Biotic P... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possible cinnamon-scented plants in Mississippi delta July 11, 2005 I used to live in Mississippi and now live in Illinois. I am trying to find what plant or tree has a strong cinnamon-like scent that fills the air. I noticed this scent driving through the delta in Mi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Smoke Tree July 11, 2005 I live in Indianapolis Indiana and there is this wonderful tree on my street which has the most unusual flowers that I've ever seen. They look like pink and white fiber optics. Spencer gift stores us... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Hesperaloe parviflora July 11, 2005 I see these bright pink orange flowers on tall bracts everyday on the way to work. I have been searching for the name so I can buy one. I found a picture on your site at (http://www.wildflower.org/?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seed source for non-native Cenipa americana July 11, 2005 The Genipa americana plant or seeds, do you have it on sale too? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Controlling scale insects on hollies July 10, 2005 I have a number of holly shrubs at the side of my house. Recently I noticed that they have tiny white spots on them. I looked at several native Texas gardening books, but can't find what I need to t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on women trying to conceive July 10, 2005 RE: Eucalyptus. Is this bad for women trying to conceive? The smell is very powerful. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Deadheadidng of gaillardia July 10, 2005 How do I maintain gaillardias? Specially, do I deadhead them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Smarty Plants on Wildflowerology July 08, 2005 I know there is a word for everything, but I can't find the offical word for the study of wildflowers. Wildflowerology just doesn't sound right. Can you help? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Differentiating between Cow-itch vine and Balsam-gourd vine July 08, 2005 How can I tell the difference between Cow-itch vine and Balsam-gourd vine? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Obtaining invasive weeds for biocontrol research in Florida July 07, 2005 I work at the Dept. of Entomology at the University of Florida doing host range testing for biocontrol agents (insects) of invasive weeds in Florida. I need some help in getting live plants of some e... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plant nursery July 07, 2005 I want to grow wildflower starts for tough-to-grow plants for retail and commercial sale. And I prefer organic, but, jeez, one step at a time. Any guidance on the ins and outs of this business? D... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small native flowering plants for Plano, TX July 07, 2005 Suggestions for native flowering plants small enough for a border planting? I live in Plano TX, just north of Dallas. Zone 8. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trumpet flower side effects July 06, 2005 What happens if you eat a trumpet flower, what are the side effects and dangers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Caring for non-native Peace Lily July 04, 2005 I have given my closet plant too much miracle gro and the leaves are drooping really bad. What do I need to do? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| More on bluebonnets July 01, 2005 I've seen several recommendtions for using a Bluebonnet Inoculant when planting Bluebonnets. "For best success, we strongly suggest using Bluebonnet inoculant (to assist in fixing nitrogen into soi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Echinacea paradoxa July 01, 2005 What kind of habitat (soil, sun, water etc) does Echinacea paradoxa like to live in? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on hyacinth bean vine July 01, 2005 I'm looking for what I believe is a wild vine. All i know is that it has purplish colored beans and the flowers are also purple. Also the vine itself is purplish. i believe that the vine is either fro... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Willows native to Wisconsin July 01, 2005 I have a small garden center in the far northern reaches of Wisconsin....and I specialize in native varieties for up here. I also help folks with lake shore restoration and preservation. There was... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Ebenopsis July 01, 2005 Why is the Texas Ebony, genus Pithecolobium, not in your database? Is it not a native? Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low maintenance native plants for college campus in Monterey, CA June 30, 2005 I am a graduate student at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. We are researching ways to save money (decreased maintenance, pesticide/herbicide use, etc) on our campus. I need so... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant Identification June 30, 2005 I have a plant that someone gave me and I don't have a clue what it is. I have a picture of it on my computer. If you can send me a email address where I can send the picture to you, that would be gre... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Suggestions for Texas native plants for memorial June 30, 2005 A dear friend of ours has passed and we would like some ideas of a native Texas plant we could plant in memory of her. It will be grown in the hill region near Houston. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sources of native plants for Marin County, CA June 30, 2005 Where in Marin County, California can I get native area plants? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Black walnut herbivory June 13, 2005 We moved to Texas just about a year ago and have loved it here. This past January we visited the Wildflower Center and obtained some black walnut seeds. Up until last night the tree was doing well p... 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 chile pequin June 11, 2005 I cannot find plants or seeds for the chile pequin (birds eye chile) plant. Do you have any or know of any business or person from whom I may purchase them? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on bio-security June 11, 2005 Hello, My friend and I are summer interns at the Bryan Mound Strategic Petroleum Reserve Site in Freeport, Texas. Our jobs as the interns is to find a plant that is friendly to the animals around our... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Parkinsonia aculeata June 11, 2005 What is the name of the tall shrub I see growing wild around Austin that is delicate, with thin stems and branches, and lacy, with multiple leaves, and yellow flowers? It looks lovely growing in a ma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wildflowers that will grow in sandy soil in New York June 09, 2005 Dear Mr. S. Pants, We live near Albany, NY in what was once a pine forest. The soil is very, very sandy. I've had some success with wildflowers but I have to use some topsoil and humus mixture to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on cell elongation June 09, 2005 Why do plants grow faster in the dark? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting native azaleas in South Carolina June 09, 2005 When is the best time to transplant azaleas in South Carolina Low Country? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of poinsettias June 09, 2005 How do I grow poinsettias from seed pods? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native Texas plants that will grow in sandy soil and salt tolerant June 08, 2005 I am in the US Coast Guard and we are looking to plant some wildflowers. The plants will be near saltwater and may get exposed if the area floods during a tropical storm or hurricane. Being on the Gul... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Care for non-native Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum) June 07, 2005 How do you care for an Easter Lily once the flowers have fallen off? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low maintenance native plants for sloping lawn in Maine June 07, 2005 Hello, we live in Maine and have clay-ey soil with a lot of sun. I suspect the soil is acidic as well. We would like to replace at least part of our small front lawn with native ground cover or gras... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on edible and poisonous plants June 06, 2005 I am trying to gather information regarding edible and poisonous plants in Utah's Salt Lake City area. Can you help? Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wildflower seed for west central Texas acreage June 06, 2005 We have a ranch in central Texas between Brownwood and Brady and want to plant wildflowers that will grow in that area. We'd like to cover acreage and need information on what mix would suit our are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for Maine June 06, 2005 Hi there, I am looking for types of wildflowers that might be growing in Maine late july that would be okay to pick (would rather not pick endangered species, etc.). Any leads would be great. Also if ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of ferns June 05, 2005 I have several varieties of well-established ferns and would like to know how I might propagate these ferns. I have tried just snipping one stem to root it but I was unsuccessful. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Desmanthus and Chamaecrista seeds June 05, 2005 Hello my wildflower specialist friend. I got 20 Desmanthus illinoensis and also Chamaecrista fasciculata seeds. Then I planted them in early March, when there was still frost, in clayish soil, not far... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Jewel of the Nile June 04, 2005 My husband and I just returned from a short trip to San Francisco. While on a bus tour that took us to the Twin Peaks area, we saw some beautiful purple flowers growing on the hillside. Our tour guid... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Resurrection Plant June 03, 2005 Hello, I have a plant that my grandmother gave to me. When she gave me the plant it was a dried bundle; but, as soon as she put in water, the plant opened up and came to life again. Then, we let it... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sources of native wildflowers for Long Island, NY May 27, 2005 What wildflowers are native to Long Island and where can I buy seeds/plants? There is so much information out there that I find my region, Long Island, seems to get lost. There is only 1 loca... 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 | ||
| Smarty Plants on potted plants May 23, 2005 How do you know when it is time to transfer a potted plant to a bigger pot? Everytime I do this my plant dies. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on staghorn sumac May 23, 2005 I currently have staghorn sumac in my yard located in Woodstock, Connecticut. it appears to be of the Rhus typhina species. i am removing these from my yard using a chainsaw and creating a pile of ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Locations where non-native Mimosa trees grow May 23, 2005 Where do mimos trees grow? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native maples for the Austin, TX area May 21, 2005 I am new to the state of Texas. I lived in Canada all of my life and miss my maple trees. Are maple trees (green or red leafed varieties) able to thrive in Austin? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Iris native to Louisiana May 19, 2005 A friend of mine has discovered white iris growing alongside of a swampy habitat in southeast Louisiana where there are blue, yellow and copper/red irises. We presume it is wild because it is in a na... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants available for viewing in Wildflower Center in October May 19, 2005 We are thinking of bringing a group to visit the Wildflower Center during the weekend of my son's wedding in Austin in early October. Will there be much to see at the garden at that time of year? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wildflower meadow on former cattle pasture in North Carolina May 17, 2005 We have purchased approximately 7 acres of land in North Carolina. A neighbor has been using the land for grazing his cows, but I hope to plant it with wildflowers once we've built a small house. W... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Cut wildflowers for wedding in June in Panola Co., TX May 17, 2005 I need fresh picked Texas wildflowers for my son's wedding dinner on June 3. The wedding is in Carthage, Panola Co, Tx. I'm from Austin and am not familiar with that vicinity. What flowers should b... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Texas native wildflowers viable in Michigan May 14, 2005 Can you tell me what wildflowers native to Texas would also thrive in Michigan?? I'd like to surprise a "transplant". View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native, durable, drought tolerant grasses for Amarillo, TX May 13, 2005 Are there any kinds of native grasses that are drought tolerant, durable and able to survive heavy foot traffic, and native to the Amarillo, Texas area? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Invasiveness of non-native gooseneck yellow loosetrife in Maine May 12, 2005 I live in Maine, and purple loosestrife is invading our habitat. It outcompetes native species. Does gooseneck loosestrife have the same damaging qualities? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| More on bluebonnets May 12, 2005 My bluebonnet plants have seed pods (I guess they are, they look like pods of snap peas). Can I collect these or do I just leave them alone and hope they multiply? If I can collect them, what is the ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Copper beech May 12, 2005 Hi, I work for a youth camp in southeastern Pennsylvania. The property for the camp was purchased from a farmer in 1958. The farmer was a collecter of unusual trees and one of the trees on our prop... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| When to mow bluebonnets May 12, 2005 I have approx. 2 acres on the side and front of my house in Austin County. When can I mow the remaining high grass and not disturb the natural renewal? Also, I plan to purchase more bluebonnet seed ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Sources for native plants astragalus and acerola May 12, 2005 Where can I get a plant of astragalus as well as acerola? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Perennial plants native to northeastern Pennsylvania May 12, 2005 What perennial plants are native to northeastern Pennsylvania? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on vitex May 12, 2005 I recently purchased a vitex tree and I don't know anything about it other that it blooms. Can you tell me everything there is about this tree? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wildflower seeds planted in May for summer in Fairfield, TX May 12, 2005 Are there any wildflower seeds which can be planted in May for the summer? I have planted a wildgrass seed mixture I purchased from Turner Seed Company and planted it today (5-2-05). It was supposed... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Rohel’s saxifrage May 11, 2005 Hi, can you help? Do you know what is a plant named: Rohel’s saxifrage? "Bulgaria - Cenral Balkan National Park - Kozya Stena (Chamois Wall) Reserve was established on December 22, 1987. With an a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yellow Indian paintbrush, Castilleja indivisa May 09, 2005 Does entireleaf Indian paintbrush, Castilleja indivisa, come in yellow in the wild? I have Indian paintbrush in the front pasture and noticed last weekend that there were 5 or 6 that were light yellow... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of Emory Oak acorns May 08, 2005 Dear Wildflower Experts, By any chance do you know how we could obtain some Emory Oak acorns to plant on our farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland? I know it’s not a given that the trees would grow... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seeds of mayflower May 03, 2005 Although I now live in Virginia, I grew up in eastern South Dakota. Several years ago while visiting SD I was walking in the pasture and noticed that many of the wild mayflowers (pasqueflowers) had ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Herbertia lahue May 03, 2005 Herbertia lahue is now blooming in Russ Pitman Park in Bellaire, TX. Below is a story about it. I heard that the plant is a protected species, but I could not find anything to confirm that. Could y... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Huisache blooms when freeze is over May 02, 2005 I live in San Antonio, TX and have heard that when the Huisache blooms all danger of frost or freeze is over. Is that true? And, this year to date (April 22, 2005) we have not seen the Huisache bloo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Texas native mulberry tree May 01, 2005 My family recently moved to Kyle, TX (north of San Marcos, south of Austin). I am delighted to discover a dewberry tree in our yard. I have never heard of such a thing. Is this a common species?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plant initiatives for universities in Southeast U.S. April 26, 2005 Hello, I am an undergraduate student majoring in botany at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN. I am a native plant enthusiast and would like to promote n.p.'s on campus. Do you kn... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Prairie Paintbrush and Managing Roadsides April 26, 2005 I have been visiting a piece of land beside I-35 for quite a few years now. It is home to tons of different plants, but it really has a fantastic show of Prairie Paintbrush - the multicolored ones, n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Plant Identification April 25, 2005 We bought our house last October and there were beautiful pink flowers blooming along our sidewalk. They bloomed until past Thanksgiving. They resembled Azaleas but we don't know what they were. Th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Germination and propagation of bluebonnets April 25, 2005 I live in Austin. Last fall I spread a load of dirt on my lawn to provide soil contact for the 2 pounds of bluebonnet seeds I subsequently spread (this was in early November). The germination rate a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Texas cherry tomato April 24, 2005 We just bought 2 Texas cherry tomato plants at the plant sale. We have to container garden in a walled courtyard due to deer. (Would deer be attracted to the plants in a garden with herbs and high de... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Keys for identification of native plants in Ohio April 22, 2005 Do you know of any good web sites that provide keys for the identification of native plants? I'm conducting a wetland plant inventory in southwestern Ohio. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Blue Cohosh April 21, 2005 I acquired a potted plant of Blue Cohosh at a sale. My question is where can I plant it? I live in Seattle but also garden in Zone 5 at Lake Wenatchee Washington. Shade or sun? How hardy is it? ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Cutting back, pruning and dividing native plants April 21, 2005 I am wanting to cut back, or prune, and divide many of my native plants but don't know how. What should I do? I bought them all at the native plant sale at the center last fall. We have a family ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source of seeds for Penstemon murrayanus April 20, 2005 Is it possible to obtain seeds of Penstemon murrayanus? I'd like to contribute to the propagation of this threatened species. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Methods of controlling poison ivy April 19, 2005 What do you suggest for controlling poison oak (ivy)? 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 | ||
| Optimum pruning time for butterfly garden April 18, 2005 I am planting a butterfly garden that I would like to be pretty as well as beneficial for butterflies. If I am going to have both host plants and nectar plants in the garden and the butterflies will b... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Asters bloom period April 16, 2005 When do the asters bloom? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Bare feet-friendly native groundcovers for New York April 14, 2005 We own land at elevation 1600', near Sherburn, NY. We want to walk barefoot around the tipi area, but don't want to plant grass (mowing grass). What native ground cover would be kind to bare feet ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Galls on live oak trees in Austin, TX April 14, 2005 I am a resident of a condominium complex in Austin that has numerous Live Oak trees. Can you explain what the gall type things are hanging from the trees at this time of year and all over the grounds?... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on teddy bear vine April 13, 2005 I am looking for a plant called teddy bear vine. The scientific name is Cyanotis kewensis. I had one a long time ago (20+ years) and I loved it, but I can't find another one or find out whe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Differentiating between Spiraea betulifolia and Spiraea japonica April 12, 2005 How can I tell the difference between Spiraea betulifolia var. corymbosa (an imperiled species) and Spiraea japonica (an invasive species) in the wild? They both seem to be the same size, color, habi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on Rain-lily April 12, 2005 What is the common lily (I think) that grows in the ditches and especially this year because of all the rain. The flower is trumpet shaped and has red stripes in the petals? Very common everywhere t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Smarty Plants on southern magnolia April 11, 2005 I live in East Texas and there are two 50-year-old southern magnolia trees in front of my house on the highway right-of-way marked to be destroyed. The Texas Department of Transportation has allowed t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Smarty Plants on spines April 09, 2005 What do you call part of a plant that is needle-like or has spikes or bristles? 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 | ||
| Wildlife habitat in Gambia April 06, 2005 Thank you for the interesting website. We bought a plot in the Gambia and would like to change it into a habitat for different living species; hence, your kindly advise is welcome as we are definitel... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information on wildflower programs in cities and states April 06, 2005 I am moving to a new town in a few weeks and am interested in starting a program to beautify the community using wildflowers. I've been interested in this for quite some time, but the opportunity ha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Possibility of survival of Genus Castilleja in Wisconsin April 04, 2005 In traveling through Texas last week we noticed many many little orange flowers which are absolutely fascinating. I found a picture of that flower in your website for Wildflower Days 2005 in the to... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Genetics reason for color variation in Indian paintbrush April 03, 2005 Are the color variations in Indian paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) a matter of genetic mutation or minerals in the soil? I say it's genetic and the rest of the family says it's environmental. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Where is marijuana plant native? April 03, 2005 In what part of the world is the marijuana plant native? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Smarty Plants on thousand year old interrupted fern April 03, 2005 We recently built a new home in the mountains of western Virginia. I am told by the local Botanist that there is a patch of "thousand year old interrupted fern" that runs through, among other pla... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Duck-resistant plants for pond in California March 31, 2005 I want to plant around a water pond and I need some plants that my ducks will not destroy. Please help. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removal of invasive mints March 30, 2005 How do I remove common mint from my garden? I removed the previous years plants and tilled the soil. This year they came back more than before. 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 | ||
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