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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Monday - September 07, 2009
From: Albuquerque, NM
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native pomegranate in Albuquerque
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I don't know if they are now considered native or not but I am interested in planting Principia or Pomegranates in Albuquerque, windy and a mile high. Do I have a chance?ANSWER:
We're sorry, we could find no reference to a plant named "Principia", either in our Native Plant Database nor by Googling. We can tell you the Punica granatum (pomegranate) is native to the Middle East, the Caucasus and Pakistan. Since the expertise of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is limited to plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown, we can't give you much help. We did find this article by Julia F. Morton from Purdue University Horticulture Pomegranate. That article should help you with cold tolerance and suitable soils, and we can tell you from personal observation that the plant does not withstand wind very well. This USDA Plant Profile does not show pomegranate growing in New Mexico at all.More Non-Natives Questions
Many different species called
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Control of suckers on non-native crepe myrtle from Bay Point, CA
March 08, 2011 - I wrote to you a while back and haven't heard back. I wanted to know if Naphthalene Acidic Acid will keep the suckers on my Crepe Myrtle at bay? And if so, where might I find it? Thank you.
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Pruning non-native razzmatazz rose from Canton MI
April 26, 2010 - I have 5 "hardy" rosebushes called "Razzamatazz" which are about 3 years old. I don't know how to prune them properly. I do cut the dead bloom back just before the "leaf of 5", which seems to...
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Pruning pink skullcap and rock daisy from Austin
February 06, 2013 - I have some pink skullcap and rock daisy and other plants in my yard that never entirely die back over the winter. Can you tell me what kind of pruning is appropriate? How far can/should I cut them ...
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Non-native invasive Chocolate Mimosa in Gulfport MS
May 18, 2011 - Another Mimosa Question: I have a newly planted chocolate mimosa; it has a single, 7 ft spindly trunk with approximately a 3 ft canopy. I'm afraid that its girth will not withstand much in terms of...
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