Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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?

Share

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
10 ratings

Wednesday - July 16, 2008

From: Jeffrey, WV
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: User Comments
Title: Why is Mr. Smarty Plants website so useless?
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Why is your site so useless?

ANSWER:

We are truly sorry that you find our site of no use to you. The volunteers and staff members at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center are constantly searching for new ways to make information on plants native to North America available to anyone who goes onsite. We also have access to information on invasives and other matters of importance to the environment. Perhaps if you detailed for us how you attempted to use the site and how it failed for you, we can make improvements. But the question you asked is a plurium interrogationum such as "are you still beating your wife?" If we answer it, it presupposes that the Mr. Smarty Plants website is, in fact, useless. By the way, the majority of the questions are answered by two volunteers, each of whom puts in an average of 20 hours a week, unpaid, of course, to try and help anyone interested in plants and how they impact the world we live in. Since I am one of those volunteers, I guess we can't offer to give you your money back.
 

More User Comments Questions

Comment from user on Smarty Plants answer
February 12, 2013 - Dear Mr.S I received a very thorough answer to my question about trimming native butterfly plants and wanted to thank you. I see that Ann Van Nest answered the question. I intended to give the reply...
view the full question and answer

Mexican species Orbexilum melanocarpum.
January 04, 2013 - This is not a question; just a note to supplement a previous MSP post answering a query about a source for Orbexilum. The "mountain pea" that the original questioner was asking about is the e...
view the full question and answer

User's comment on nativity of Beggar's Lice from Austin
May 20, 2014 - I think you were off the mark telling somebody that "beggar's lice" is a Texas native. According to Wikipedia, Torilis arvensis is an invasive species native to Eurasia. Cheers!
view the full question and answer

Butterflyweed
June 18, 2012 - Can't find a way to say thanks for prompt, helpful answer today from Guy Thompson on starting "Butterflyweed" -- or how to give ans. 5 stars -- so here's thanks &stars! More info than available ...
view the full question and answer

Question about commercial product from Austin
May 19, 2014 - Do you carry AquaSmart Pro? There was an article in today\\\'s Statesman about some Sun City people using AquaSmart Pro to save water on their lawns. I am always skeptical about such panaceas. ...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.