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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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Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

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Wednesday - July 02, 2014

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native fig problems in Austin, TX.
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

We have a large fig tree in our yard. It has been healthy since we bought the house in 2006. But in the last week or so, the leaves have turned yellow and have wilted. It is full of fruit. I'm afraid we are going to lose this crop, if not the entire tree, if we don't do anything.

ANSWER:

We wish we could be more helpful, but the focus of our research and the extent of our expertise are limited to those plant species native to North America. Common fig (Ficus carica) is native to Eurasia and Africa.  Your county's Agrilife Extension Service office should be able to help you with identifying the cause of the problem and perhaps with a treatment or solution.
 

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