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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Saturday - October 18, 2014
From: Richardson, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Planting, Transplants, Groundcovers
Title: Horseherb planting in Richardson, TX
Answered by: Larry Larson
QUESTION:
What is the best time to plant 4" pots of Horseherb?ANSWER:
Now would do just fine!
Calyptocarpus vialis (Straggler daisy) or Horseherb is a shade-tolerant groundcover that tolerates moderate foot traffic.
The Propagation Information for this agressive native is:
Description: Easily propagated by cuttings or divisions. Though this species may be propagated by seed, it is rarely done because the seeds are difficult to collect in quantity. Seeds are rarely if ever commercially available.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Mow if desired to keep even and to clear away dead growth in areas where it goes dormant in the winter. May need supplemental water to look its best in hot, full sun areas during extended drought.
Note that it goes dormant in the winter and some support is good in full sun areas in the peak of summer. This echoes Mr Smarty Plants experience in my backyard. It is full and healthy right now, but will go dormant with the cooler weather of winter. In Spring, it comes up early and strong as the sun reappears and thrives until the dog days of summer. Good planting times are right now [early to mid Fall], so that the plant gets established before winter forces it to dormancy, or in the Spring when the other Spring plants are also showing good growth.
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