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
Friday - March 17, 2006
From: Springfield, VA
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Wildlife management programs for tax exemptions
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I own a property in La Grange, Texas on which we're considering a wildlife management exemption. Would there be a program that also provides tax advantages for growing wildflowers?ANSWER:
Unfortunately, I don't know of a program that gives a tax break just for growing wildflowers. However, growing wildflowers for food for wildlife should qualify as one of the activities required to obtain wildlife management tax exemption. In the Tax Code (Section 23.51 (7)), you can pick "(E) providing supplemental supplies of food" as one of the three ways, of the seven listed, to qualify for Property Tax Exemption for Wildlife Management. You can contact the wildlife biologists in Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Oak-Prairie Wildlife District, which includes Fayette County, for possible assistance in preparing your wildlife management plan.To help you select the best wildflowers and plants you can visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Deparment's Texas Plant Information Database page where you can search for plants for your county by various attributes (such as "wildlife/livestock food" or "small mammal cover") and their usefulness for "small mammals", "nongame birds", etc.
There are two articles, "Creating a Wildlife Garden" and "Wildlife Gardening Bibliography" in our Native Plant Library that you may find useful. Additionally, Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife by Noreen Damude and Kelly Conrad Bender (1999, Texas Parks and Wildlife Press) has a wealth of information. It is for sale at the Wildflower Center's Wild Ideas store and is possibly available at your local library or bookstore.
More Wildflowers Questions
Possibility of Oenothera flava growing in Michigan
June 16, 2006 - Oenothera flava (A. Nels) Garrett, is it true that this plant is not in Michigan? Is it rare or something? Because I had a hard time trying to find out what it was.
view the full question and answer
Information on what Texas wildflowers are disappearing
August 02, 2011 - I was shocked to find that Texas Bluebells were vanishing. What other Texas
wildflowers are vanishing? There is an endangered species list but I want
to help before my wildflower neighbors before t...
view the full question and answer
Identification of Daucus pusillus, native alternative to Daucus carota
June 15, 2007 - What happened to "Queen Anne's Lace"? Growing up in Texas, I recall seeing "Queen Anne's Lace" growing wild. In my mind, the blooms were rather large. The plants I see growing profusely along th...
view the full question and answer
Smarty Plants on daylilies
July 29, 2003 - I have a number of Daylilies that are rapidly multiplying in my flower bed. If I relocate some of them to the field behind my house, will they crowd out the native wildflowers?
view the full question and answer
Why are our Bluebonnets turning brown?
January 28, 2009 - Our Texas Bluebonnets are turning brown and appear to be dying. We've had them going for 5 or 6 years and have never seen this. I found a few small worms on one plant but can't seem to find them a...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |