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

Sunday - April 30, 2006
From: Springfield, IL
Region: Midwest
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Failure of fragrance in Sweet Shrub (Calycanthus floridus) in Illinois
Answered by: Joe Marcus and Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have a sweet shrub bush that I took from the root of another one. Every year it blooms but never has even a smidgen of fragrance. The bush it came from was very fragrant. Should I do something to the soil to make it more suitable. We live in Illinois. The bush came for one in Alabama. It's just full of blooms now, but no smell.ANSWER:
Sweet shrub (Calycanthus floridus) is a fickle lady. Some plants are exceedingly fragrant while others have little or no fragrance at all. Apparently, weather conditions can affect fragrance, but I don't know what the mechanism is for that. If the root you took came from a highly fragrant plant, your plant should be highly fragrant as well. Morning and evening are the times of most intense fragrance. Apparently, the flowers' nectaries dry up upon pollination and fragrance quickly fades. So, if you have an abundance of pollinators, that could be the source of the problem. You can find a discussion about sweet shrub on Garden Web.More Shrubs Questions
Plants for slope on Orcas Island, WA
July 21, 2011 - Hi! What a great site! Okay, I have a home on Orcas Island, WA. We live here from about June through September, but only visit once a month or so the other times of the year.
We are looking for somet...
view the full question and answer
Understory Shrubs for Pennsylvania Clay
December 04, 2013 - I want to replace three non-native Euonymus alatus with native shrubs that will serve as host plants for butterfly/moth species and/or attract bumblebees and other native bees. The shrubs I have are ...
view the full question and answer
Pruning a Martha Gonzales rose
January 20, 2016 - How much should I prune back an established Martha Gonzales Rose to keep healthy?
view the full question and answer
Fruit crops to grow in Tennessee mountains
May 27, 2013 - My property has a lot of rock formations throughout it and has hundreds of cedars where it is not pasture. I am wanting to grow fruit trees and berry bushes but don't know what can grow in this e...
view the full question and answer
Difference between Styrax platanifolius and Styrax patanifolius ssp. texanus
November 18, 2011 - What is the difference between a Styrax platanifolius and a Styrax platanifolius texanus?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |