Native Plants
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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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Saturday - April 15, 2006
From: Trinity, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Non-Natives, Transplants
Title: Information on care and transplant of non-native Bamboo in North Carolina
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I am considering transplanting some bamboo from my backyard to my side yard in Northern Randolph County, Central Piedmont, North Carolina. Could you offer me any pointers on a direct ground to ground transplant, spacing, max. size that will make it ETC,ANSWER:
Our focus and expertise is in plants native to North America. The only bamboo native to North America is switch cane or giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea). There are two subspecies, Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl. ssp. gigantea and Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl. ssp. tecta (Walt.) McClure. I am guessing that you probably have a non-native bamboo growing in your yard so I am going to send you to the American Bamboo Society FAQs page with information about transplanting bamboo. They provide a diagram for dividing bamboo. You can find more information on growing and caring for bamboo on their General Bamboo Information page. Two commercial sites, Bamboo Garden Nursery and Lewis Bamboo Inc., also have information about caring for bamboo.
More Non-Natives Questions
Japanese maple in New York
August 15, 2008 - I have a few questions: Do you know what zone Brooklyn, NY. is in? If I plant a Japanese Maple in my backyard, do you think it can tolerate almost full shade (1-2 hours of sun per day)? Also, is it...
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Replacement for Globe Thistle in Virginia
June 15, 2013 - Hi,
We are trying to get our garden to be 100% North American Native and are at about 90% native to our region. One of the last plants we have to replace is our Globe Thistle. Do you have a good r...
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Trailing perennial plants for High Wycombe, England
April 19, 2008 - Hello Mr Smarty Plants,
I would like to know what trailing plants are also perennial, preferably flowering ones but that also look pretty when not in flower? My kitchen looks out onto a five foot h...
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Non-native crape myrtles in Noblesville IN
August 01, 2012 - Can Crepe Myrtle trees be grown in Noblesville IN 46060? I believe we are zone five.
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East Texas grasses for holding soils
September 17, 2008 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants,
I have a question about the East Texas area: Specifically, which natvie grasses can be planted to hold the soil/new roads through the winter?
Here is the situation: (Against...
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