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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Friday - August 06, 2010
From: Mission, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Diseases and Disorders, Shrubs
Title: Need some help with a Plumbago plant in Mission, TX.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
Hello..I live in south South Texas and have a plumbago. It gets about 4 to 5 hours of direct sun and lately some of the branches and leaves turn bright green almost yellow. Am I over watering or is this common the first year of the plant. I figure it might just be in shock considering I transplanted it seven months ago. Can you tell me what I might be doing wrong or need to do?ANSWER:
It sounds like your Plumbago plant is suffering chlorosis which is a yellowing of leaf tissue due to a lack of chlorophyll. Possible causes of chlorosis include poor drainage, damaged roots, compacted roots, high alkalinity, and nutrient deficiencies in the plant. Nutrient deficiencies may occur because there is an insufficient amount of a particular nutrient in the soil or because the nutrients are unavailable due to a high pH (alkaline soil). Overwatering can contribute to the problem.
This link from University of Illinois Extension contains an informative discussion of the problem of chlorosis in plants. Click here for a news paper column from the St. Petersburg Times discussing the treament of chlorosis specifically in Plumbago.
For a source of help closer to home, contact the folks at the AgriLife Extension office in Hidalgo County.
More Diseases and Disorders Questions
Problems with non-native photinia in Austin
October 07, 2013 - Hi, I live in Cedar Park, TX (Austin Suburb)and have planted a number of Photinia shrubs in various areas of my property. All about 10 months old.
The leaves are curling along their length on many...
view the full question and answer
Dying Pine Trees in Texas
October 05, 2009 - I live on the water front street in Kemah, Texas. We took water in the entire neighborhood during Hurricane Ike. That's been a year ago and now I have noticed our pines trees are starting to die. I s...
view the full question and answer
Care of Jade plant
September 06, 2007 - Hi there,
I have a question and really appreciate your time helping me regarding my plant.
I bought a Jade plant; 35 yr. old ; very thick stems and healthy at the time of purchase from a very si...
view the full question and answer
Problems with Crape Myrtles in Oklahoma.
April 12, 2009 - I planted Crape Myrtles,Catawba, that are about 4 feet high. I planted them last October. They all had new leaves on them a week ago. All of the leaves are now brown and shriveled up. There is a t...
view the full question and answer
Repairing the split trunk of a TX mountain laurel
February 28, 2015 - I have a fairly large mountain laurel that I just realized has a split down the trunk. Is there anything I can do to save it?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |