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?

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

Wednesday - March 10, 2010

From: Pekin, IL
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification, Compost and Mulch, Transplants, Shrubs
Title: Plant identification and advice about moving it
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I have a plant (a thick stalk about 4 foot tall with yellow flowers on it) that blooms in the morning and the flowers fall off at night. I have searched for info on this plant and have come up short. With it being winter I don't have pictures but have been wondering if I can move it. Thank you for your time.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants loves to identify plants but it is usually difficult, if not completely impossible, to do so by description alone. If you would like for us to identify your plant, please take photos when it has leaves and flower (follow the instructions on Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page. 

Since we haven't identified your plant, we don't know for sure whether it's a shrub (with a woody stalk/stem/trunk) or a perennial herb.  Early spring is a good tiime to transplant either, but the method varies a bit.  For a shrub, you want to carefully dig up the entire root ball to transplant to a new area.  For a perennial herb (no woody stalk) after you dig up the plant, you can usually divide the plant and move the several parts to different places.  In either case you should prepare the new hole before you dig up the old plant to avoid having the roots dry out.  Make the hole large enough so that you can add some compost or potting soil to the hole and still have room for the plant.  Newly moved plants need to be watered frequently until they are well established.  You can read about Gardening with Perennials and Transplanting Trees (would apply to shrubs, as well) from the University of Illinois Extension Service.

 

More Compost and Mulch Questions

Removal of live oaks leaves on lawn in Austin
October 11, 2011 - We have about a half inch or so of mostly live oak leaves still on the ground which I thought was good root protection and also holds in moisture. There is a small group of people in our condo subdi...
view the full question and answer

Native plants to provide nitrogen for compost in Houston
March 27, 2010 - I leave my clippings on the lawn so I don't have enough 'green' for my compost. I'd like to plant an unobtrusive area with some native that I can mow on a monthly basis. The area is in partial...
view the full question and answer

Plants for red clay in Hattiesburg, MS
May 16, 2011 - Looking for plants and flowers to plant in red clay?
view the full question and answer

Ground cover for heavy dog traffic in Huntsville TX
July 23, 2010 - We have recently moved to Huntsville, TX where our backyard is very shady and has only a small patch of St. Augustine grass and the rest is a dry, sand-like soil. We also have 2 Great Danes and 2 Pugs...
view the full question and answer

Pine bark on non-native St. Augustine grass in Kingwood TX
May 12, 2010 - I had two large Pine trees cut down. In the process of cutting the trees down there is a lot of pine bark from the tree on my St Augustine grass. Will this affect the growth of my grass?
view the full question and answer

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