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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

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.

Search Smarty Plants

See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer

Not Yet Rated

Monday - June 25, 2012

From: Houston, TX
Region: Other
Topic: Non-Natives, Wildflowers
Title: Bluebonnets for Shanghai
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I am a Texas native that now lives in Shanghai, and I am trying to grow a little piece of home (Texas bluebonnets) indoors, and I was wondering: a. Do you have any ideal soil recipes that bluebonnets would really love? i.e. 33% sand 33% compost 33% perlite? b. Do you have any insights or experience growing seedlings? I have a wine refrigerator that I can use to simulate Texas winters (~10 degrees C) but is there any other equipment or advice that will increase my chances of success? c. Is it possible to grow bluebonnets hydroponically? Thanks a bunch!

ANSWER:

a. No. b. No. c. No.

Bluebonnets are always the No. 1 question subject on the Mr. Smarty Plants Hit Parade. We looked at 10 previous questions going back to 2004 on the possibilities of planting Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet) in foreign climes, including England, Afghanistan and Germany. You are to be congratulated, however. Yours is the first from Shanghai. Rather than repeat ourselves ad nauseum or link you to all those questions (all of which had the same answer-no), here is the previous Mr. Smarty Plants question on planting bluebonnets in Germany.

From the Image Gallery

Texas bluebonnet
Lupinus texensis