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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Saturday - October 31, 2009
From: Leander, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Will the new bluebonnet plants survive the winter?
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I live in Leander, and we've had 19 1/2 inches of rain in the past three weeks. ALL of our bluebonnets are coming up! Can they survive the winter?ANSWER:
Your Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet) are doing exactly what they are supposed to do—come up in the fall and grow slowly over the winter so that they are ready to respond and grow vigorously in the warm spring rains. And, if we continue to get regular rainfall, they should be blooming spectacularly next April.
You might like to read our How to Grow Bluebonnets article for more information about growing bluebonnets.
More Wildflowers Questions
Eliminating weeds from seeded wildflower stands
June 25, 2007 - We live in Eastern Central Texas in a small community on Texas Highway 7.
Last fall, we went to the Wildseed Flower Farm near Fredricksburg and purchased
a bag of mixed wildflower seeds and planted...
view the full question and answer
Culture of Indian paintbrush
December 16, 2007 - I have never tried to plant the Indian Paintbrush flower before, and I'm not sure what the culture is besides what's on the LBJ Wildflower center website. Are there any tricks for getting a good sh...
view the full question and answer
Wildflowers that will grow in sandy soil in New York
June 09, 2005 - Dear Mr. S. Pants,
We live near Albany, NY in what was once a pine forest. The soil is very, very sandy. I've had some success with wildflowers but I have to use some topsoil and humus mixture to ...
view the full question and answer
A bounty of options for planting natives in Hockley Texas
April 21, 2011 - I have about 1 acre of land in Hockley Texas, outside Houston, that we had cleared of shrubs and poison ivy. We kept the trees so there are some areas with mostly shade and some areas with partial su...
view the full question and answer
Is Common Milkweed a Succulent?
March 31, 2015 - Is the common milkweed (butterfly plant) classified as a succulent?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |