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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

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.

Search Smarty Plants

See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

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!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer

Not Yet Rated

Friday - February 13, 2015

From: Crandall, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Transplants, Trees
Title: Time to Plant Trees and Shrubs in the Dallas Area
Answered by: Mike Tomme

QUESTION:

Is it OK to plant evergreen shrubs-trees in January or February in the Dallas, Texas area?

ANSWER:

The best time to plant trees and shrubs in Texas is in the fall. The next best is in early spring. The time to avoid is late spring or summer. You want to give a plant as much time to as possible to get established before the July, August, September blast furnace.