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

Saturday - May 05, 2012
From: Lake Kiowa, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Tree well for partially exposed roots from Lake Kiowa TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Medium oak tree along lake has partially exposed roots. Can we make a barrier (what kind?) and fill the roots behind it with topsoil, compost, etc.? Tree and roots are above the waterline. Lake occasionally floods and rain runoff can cause washing, too. Thanks.ANSWER:
We had no experience with this problem, and didn't have a clue where to start. But when we searched on "tree well" we found this excellent article from West Virginia University Tree Wells by Clifford W. Collier Jr. Apparently, the most important thing is that the roots that are exposed not be suffocated (roots need oxygen, too) by having soil or water over them. The referenced article has a number of illustrations showing how to handle the problem in different ways. Doesn't look easy, but trees are valuable assets, so you will probably want to proceed with some construction.
More Trees Questions
Tree with blue berries in Los Angeles, CA
March 22, 2016 - There's a tree outside my house with somewhat thin and short spiky leaves with blue berries. The berries
Some of the berries have a frost look and some are dark blue.
view the full question and answer
How do you stop the bark from peeling off the tree in Amarillo?
May 07, 2012 - How do you stop the bark from peeling off the tree? I live in Amarillo, TX. If you can't stop the progression, how do you keep the tree alive?
view the full question and answer
Natural lifespan of wild plum trees
May 12, 2008 - We have a small border of Wild Plum Trees in our yard. Every year it seem that one or two of the biggest trees die. Do they have a specific life span? We transplanted the trees/bushes from the panh...
view the full question and answer
A tap-rooted tree for Munroe Falls, OH?
August 16, 2012 - Hello.. We need to find a fast growing shade tree which has a tap root or a heart root system. No surface roots please. We live in Munroe Falls, Ohio which I believe is Zone 5. Let us know your though...
view the full question and answer
Trees for a privacy barrier
October 06, 2007 - What would you suggest to plant for a privacy barrier along a back fence in Austin Texas? They need to be hardy and atleast 10 to 12 feet tall to block my neighbor's second story view of my yard.
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |