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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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 - March 30, 2016

From: Katy, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Trees
Title: Status of Texas Olive tree in Katy, TX
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I have a Texas Olive tree and it has very few leaves. Is this normal?

ANSWER:

Well that depends; it depends on how old it is, how much sun it gets, how much water it gets, the kind of soil it is growing in, whether it was nipped by recent cold weather. You certainly didn’t give Mr. Smarty Plants much to work with.

I’m including three links that will give you more information about Cordia boissieri (Mexican olive) and its care.
AgriLife Extension Service

Garden guides

You might consider contacting the Houston Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) for some help closer to home.

From the Image Gallery

Mexican olive
Cordia boissieri