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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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.

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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.

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Monday - August 24, 2015

From: Philadelphia, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Rain Gardens, Grasses or Grass-like, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs, Trees
Title: Need suggestions for plants for bioswales in Philadelphia, PA
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

ANSWER:

Hello, Are there a handful of species you would recommend for inclusion in bioswales throughout the US? I realize plants need to be selected based on climate, but I'm wondering if there are two or three that consistently thrive in diverse climates. Thank you.

Mr. Smarty Plants often receives inquiries regarding bioswales and rain gardens. He will provide links for you to two publications that have tips for establishing rain gardens, and three previously answered questions; the first publication is from University of Wisconsin Extension , and the other is closer to your home; the Brooklyn Botanical Garden .

The previous answers are are from the eastern part of the US:

Philadelphia, PA

Hendersonville, NC

Baltimore, MD

You can research the plants that are suggested further by going to our Native Plant Database, and entering the name of the plant in the Search Box. This will bring up the plant’s NPIN page which has information about its characteristics, growth requirements, and in most cases, pictures.

By clicking on “ Recommend Species Lists” just above the search box, you can get a list of recommended species for Pennsylvania.