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

rate this answer

Sunday - March 21, 2010
From: Houston, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Best of Smarty, Wildlife Gardens, Shrubs
Title: Will shoes pick up American Beautyberry fruit and stain carpets?
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Do the berries from American Beautyberry fall on the ground so your shoes pick up the berries to stain the carpet in my house?ANSWER:
We once belonged to a club where the use of any red or pink juices in punch for refreshments was prohibited, because those colored juices would, indeed, stain the carpet in the meeting room.
So, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To begin with, birds adore those gorgeous Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry) berries that appear in the Fall and Winter, so many will never get to the ground for you to step in. Second, those that do fall will probably be gobbled up by ground-feeding birds. Third, you would do well to not be walking in the soil around your shrubs, because that compacts the soil, and will get mulch and dirt on your shoes. And, finally, if we may make a suggestion, you might invest in an inexpensive hemp mat that can sit outside and take off any further residue from shoes entering the carpeted area. Or, don't plant the Beautyberry.
From the Image Gallery
More Best of Smarty Questions
What is wrong with the bluebonnets?
April 04, 2008 - This doesn't seem to be a very good year for bluebonnets. What's up with that?
view the full question and answer
Bees knees squeezing
May 28, 2010 - Barbara, Do the knees of bees help them squeeze if they please their wobbly, bobbly, knobbly balls of pollen?
view the full question and answer
Burn the wetlands
June 02, 2010 - Can the wetlands of Louisiana that have been soaked in oil be burned? I am a native plant gardener in the midwest. Burning is a natural process in the prairie.
Southerners are not used to this and ma...
view the full question and answer
History of the Texas Bluebonnet
March 12, 2008 - Hi, I'm working on an article for a newspaper and wondered if you could point me in the right direction to find out the history of the bluebonnet. When did it become the state flower? Is it really ill...
view the full question and answer
Using Bumelia for Firewood
February 25, 2011 - I have 2 trees in my yard that I think are Gum Bullies. They're tall (25 feet) and straight, thorny, leaves look like live oak, but they're deciduous. I need to remove them and wondered if I could...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |