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

Wednesday - June 02, 2010
From: Hinsdale, IL
Region: Midwest
Topic: Best of Smarty, General Botany
Title: Burn the wetlands
Answered by: Damon Waitt
QUESTION:
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 may be ignoring a very simple solution to the wetlands that already have been devastated by oil. We could be looking at have those grasses being rejuvenated within weeks with a good burn.ANSWER:
That is an interesting proposition. As you are aware fire is an important management tool for restoring prairies but wetlands are a whole other kind of ecosystem. They are difficult to burn (some must be drained first) and once burned it takes them years to rebuild enough vegetation for another burn so the timing has to be just right to get the most oil out of the wetland. So....while it is a viable option it is considered by most to be an option of last resort.
More Best of Smarty Questions
Help! The deer are eating my landscape.
March 14, 2004 - Help! The deer are eating my landscape. Is there anything I can plant that they won’t eat?
view the full question and answer
Plant identification of tree on Kent State University in Ohio
August 09, 2011 - Hello. I am fond of a very large (wide) tree on a university campus in Ohio. I have tried many plant ID search engines to try to figure out what it is. It is at least 12 feet tall and at least that ...
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
Mowing Bluebonnets
March 20, 2004 - When is it safe to mow Bluebonnets?
view the full question and answer
Will shoes pick up American Beautyberry fruit and stain carpets?
March 21, 2010 - Do the berries from American Beautyberry fall on the ground so your shoes pick up the berries to stain the carpet in my house?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |