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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Sunday - June 14, 2009
From: Royse City, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Wind damage to pecan tree in Royse City, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
The wind broke my pecan tree trunk in two. It is approximately 2 in caliper and about 15 feet tall. Is there a tree trunk repair?ANSWER:
Oh, gee, don't we all wish? Sadly, your tree is a lost cause. So much damage will have been done to the structure of the tree and it's doubtful you would even have success re-growing from the roots. The roots might put up suckers, but it would take a long time for one to mature to the size you had, and it still might not be successful. We suggest you remove the dead wood, including the root, before insects or fungi take the opportunity to move in, possibly going on to infect other healthy plants in your garden.
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Is Robinia pseudoaccia a good replacement tree for Shumard oaks in Austin TX?
February 27, 2013 - Recently two of our Shumard trees in the front of our house died. Both trees were small/medium in size having only been growing for 13-17 years. I've been reading about Black Locust trees which accor...
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What about Asian Jasmine and scrub oaks?
September 01, 2010 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I have several clusters of native scrub oaks in my yard. I planted Asian jasmine under them many years ago. The trees look fine, but an arborist has told me that the Asian ...
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Chinkapin Oak Planted Too Deep
July 15, 2014 - I planted a 15 gallon chinkapin oak last year and it's doing very well. As I didn't know that much about tree planting at that time, I planted it too deep by probably 3 inches. Is this a very seriou...
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Fast-growing tree, non-toxic for horses, in Northern California
March 18, 2010 - Hello..I need to find a fast growing shade tree, native to California (I live in Northern California, south of San Francisco) that would be safe next to (but not in) my horses paddock. Obviously some...
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