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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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
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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Tuesday - April 08, 2014
From: Richmond, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Non-Natives, Diseases and Disorders, Shrubs
Title: Diseased non-native red tip photinias from Richmond VA
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Our red tip trees have a while substance on the bark at the base of each tree..look like some kind of fungus or mold, but we don't know how to get rid of it. Please help.ANSWER:
Here is a previous answer on the subject of red tip photinias. This question was from San Antonio TX but when we searched on "photinia" on our previous answers, we found 57 answers, all similar to this, from all over the country. Sorry. You will find that when planning a garden, research to discover plants native to your area will give you a better chance of success. We realize that many gardeners move into landscapes already filled with questionable plants, but we have no Time Machine to offer.
More Shrubs Questions
Shrubs with berries for birds and growing small red oak tree
September 16, 2007 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
Recently, I saw a short article about attracting birds to one's yard. The article said to plant "berry-bearing" shrubs, but didn't name any specific shrubs. Could you tell...
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Is slow growth of young Tx mountain laurel normal?
July 02, 2012 - My Texas mountain laurel is 2 or 3 years old and is about 4 feet tall. It seems quite healthy but has grown very little, if any, and has never bloomed. Is this normal? Although I don't want it to gro...
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Plants for steep bank in Pennsylvania
July 12, 2011 - What do I do with a very steep bank with hard clay soil to stop erosion and to look nice. Is there a ground cover that would help?
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Which plants are resistant to dog urine in Ashmore, IL??
May 21, 2012 - Which native plants are resistant to dogs urinating on them?
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Plant identification of shrub in Georgia
May 26, 2010 - I have a bush that has red berries. It is evergreen and the leaves are a soft green. The berries are white at first and turn red. The bush is like a cluster of twigs that are in one area kind of li...
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