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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Thursday - June 18, 2015

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Pruning, Edible Plants, Trees
Title: Pruning non-native peach in Austin, TX.
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

I planted two five gallon Texas Star peach trees last February but didn't have the nerve to prune them back to knee height. After having been convinced that this is a good thing to do, I'd like to know if it is too late to do it now at the beginning of June. I live in Austin, TX.

ANSWER:

'Texstar' peach is a cultivar of the Old World fruit tree, Prunus persica. The focus of research and the extent of expertise of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is limited to those plant species native to North America. So, your question is outside of our purview.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has many resources designed to help home gardeners with the culture of peaches and other fruit crops. Contact your county's AgriLife Extension Service office for more information. A particularly good AgriLife Extension publication on peach growing that's available online is Peaches.