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.
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.
rate this answer
Thursday - February 19, 2009
From: Flower Mound, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Invasive Plants
Title: Winter weeds in Flower Mound TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
My lawn is being overrun by winter weeds. How can I get rid of them? Should I wait until March when I put down weed and feed fertilizer?ANSWER:
The key word here is "winter." We're assuming that what you have are winter annuals that should be dying a natural death soon. However, and this is a big "however," they will take steps to perpetuate themselves before they go. All plants exist to reproduce, and the blooms and seeds near the end of their life cycle are the keys to that reproduction. You should get those weeds out before they have a chance to seed. Mowing them very low is one way, pulling them out is another. "Weed and feed" fertilizers are targeted toward one kind of weed, the broad-leaf or dicot. The problem there is that many of the plants you are referring to as weeds are also grasses, or monocots, just as your lawn grass is. You will just be feeding those grasses/weeds that you don't want. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center recommends neither for nor against herbicides, but we urge that if they are used, it be done so responsibly. Overuse can result in runoff into the water supply when it rains or with irrigation of the lawn. It's also important to remember that most of your ornamental plants, including trees, are dicots and can be adversely affected by coming into contact with the herbicide in your fertilizer.
So, we recommend that you take steps to prevent your weeds from reproducing. And, when Spring comes and the lawn greens up, along with the grassy weeds (which are probably natives and actually belong here), just mow it, it's green.
More Invasive Plants Questions
Need to know about the invasiveness of Datura wrightii.
May 17, 2010 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I recently purchased a small Datura wrightii plant for my front garden. I've been researching it, since I know it is quite toxic, and couldn't find a good answer to one quest...
view the full question and answer
Why isn't Lantana camara in NPIN?
October 16, 2009 - Why don't you have Lantana camara in your data base? It is very common here, and is in the USDA database.
view the full question and answer
Identity of the mass fields of yellow flowers in North Texas
March 23, 2012 - Are the mass fields of yellow flowers we are seeing in north Texas now likely to be Indian Mustard (brassica juncea) or Charlock (brassica kaber or sinapis arvensis)?
We are teaching a wildflower ide...
view the full question and answer
White evening primrose from Baton Rouge LA
April 16, 2013 - My husband and I have a disagreement about Mexican Primroses. I believe I have seen patches of them which are pure white. He believes they must be faded pink ones. Do white ones occasionally grow? ...
view the full question and answer
Use of chemicals for eradicating invasive plants
April 24, 2008 - Re: Round Up
We are extremely reluctant to use any chemical agents in our yard (or around our home) due to environmental & ecological reasons... However, we are becoming inundated with several ver...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |
