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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.

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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.

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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.

 
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Monday - June 07, 2010

From: Providence, RI
Region: Northeast
Topic: Non-Natives, Poisonous Plants
Title: Is non-native Tillandsia air plant poisonous to cats?
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Are Tillandsia/air plants poisonous to cats? Please help!

ANSWER:

These plants are not native to North America, as are most indoor plants, so they are not in our Native Plant Database or area of expertise. From a website, Air Plants-Tillandsia, under "More Info on Air Plants" we found this statement.

"Tillandsias are NOT toxic to animals, although this does not mean your pet won't eat them, but they will survive the experience, your plant might not."
 

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