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
Not Yet Rated

Saturday - January 30, 2010

From: The Netherlands,
Region: Other
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources
Title: Seeds of Pinus engelmanii for the Netherlands
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I am living in the Netherlands Europe, I hope that you can help me. A friend of mine has a beautiful Pinus Engelmannii and I am looking for seeds of this pine. Have you any idea where i can buy them?

ANSWER:

At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, we are committed to the care, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which the plant is being grown. Pinus engelmannii (Apache pine) is native to a small area in the most southern portions of Arizona and New Mexico and from there extends its territory into Mexico. It normally grows at an elevation of 5000 to 8200 ft. on rocky ridges and sides of mountains. That doesn's sound much like The Netherlands, does it? Even if you could obtain a seed, we would be very surprised if it would germinate and produce a tree. We do not like to recommend plants being grown out of their natural ranges both because, as we said, they might not grow at all and because they might grow too well and become invasive. One of the reasons we deal only with plants native to where they are being grown is that often alien plants become invasive plants, pushing out plants native to that area and damaging the habitat. There are pines, like the Scots Pine, native to The Netherlands but, since it is not also native to North America, we have no information on it in our Native Plant Database. 

 

More Seed and Plant Sources Questions

Sources for ruellia from Houston
January 19, 2014 - I want to get a bunch of either ruellia nudiflora or ruellia drummondiana in my butterfly garden. But I cannot find it anywhere, and I have no idea where to get plants or seeds. Seems most vendors...
view the full question and answer

Replacing Drought-Stricken Cedars
January 16, 2012 - Hello, I live in Williamson County on a couple acres. We have several dead cedars as a result of drought; we're reluctant to cut them down because many of them provide a friendly barrier between us...
view the full question and answer

Best places to obtain native plants
July 13, 2006 - Where is the best place to get native plants ?
view the full question and answer

Looking for source of wildflower seeds in Southern California
October 08, 2014 - I'm looking for a source of wildflower seed--a mix of annuals and perennials--for my desert location of La Quinta, CA
view the full question and answer

Source of article on Great St. Johns-wort (Hypericum ascyron)
August 11, 2005 - I found the following comment on your database when reading about Hypericum ascyron: Comments: The scattered distribution of this plant in Ontario is thought to match historical aboriginal encampment...
view the full question and answer

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