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.
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Smarty Plants Question Topics
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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| Problem with Pterocaulon pycnostachyum September 17, 2014 I have a solitary Pterocaulon pycnostachyum in my wildscape; it invited itself. Some years it does not flower at all (or the bloom is eaten before I see it), and its stalks (usually 4) are not ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Butterfly Plants for Chicago September 13, 2014 I live near Chicago, IL and am interested in planting a butterfly garden. Not sure when to start, but I want all native plants that would attract butterflies. Can you please let me know which plants ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| When to Collect Rudbeckia triloba Seed? September 13, 2014 How soon after flowering may I cut Rudbeckia triloba flower heads to save seeds? Do cones need to be attached to the plant in or out of the ground to continue to mature? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Hummingbird Bushes for Broken Arrow OK August 27, 2014 I am looking for bushes that attract hummingbirds. I live in Broken Arrow, OK. Can you recommend some? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Deer Resistant Plants for Newton Square, PA August 25, 2014 I'm looking for highly deer resistant plants native to PA. Thank you! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shasta Daisies without Petals August 21, 2014 My shasta daisies do not have the white petals, only the yellow center is in bloom. There are no visible signs of insects. They get a good amount of sun - about 5 hours per day. What could be the prob... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowering ofPluchea odorata in Houston, TX August 13, 2014 I sprouted Pluchea odorata seeds this spring, but the plants seem too small to bloom this year. Although your website characterizes this plant as an annual, do you think it will survive the Houston wi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Soil Loosener/Pollinator Plants for Houston August 11, 2014 I am trying to establish a mostly-native pollinator way-station in a recently purchased lot in a 100 year old neighborhood in Houston. Much of the property has a thick layer of oyster shell four to si... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Making a pollinator garden August 11, 2014 Hello, I have a ditch right by my house and I want to turn it into a pollinator garden using native plants. My problem is, right now it's so full of weeds that we have to mow those down so soon. For ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growing Texas star hibiscus in Central Texas August 11, 2014 Hi there, I purchased a beautiful Texas Star Hibiscus that I want to plant in my yard. Unfortunately, my yard being in Travis Heights, I hit a lot of caliche when digging. To plant some other nativ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Magnolia species are allelopathic August 02, 2014 Have a healthy Southern Magnolia tree around 8 years old. It seems like everything I plant next to it dies.: Variegated Spirea, Stokes Aster, Hydrangeas. Is there something it secretes like the waln... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Looking for seeds for Carex texensis and Horse Herb July 27, 2014 I am looking for either plants or seeds of Carex texensis and horseherb with no success. I live in the Albuquerque,NM mountain region (at ~6800ft, zone 6). I need something that is very dought resis... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for a Austin thicket underlayer July 25, 2014 We live in Austin, west of 183. We are planning to put a thicket in our backyard, where there is no threat of deer. Anchoring the thicket are a clump of live oaks, a Texas persimmon, an Eve's Necklac... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Gaura Plants Dying In PA July 16, 2014 I had six gaura plants. They were beautiful last year. Now I have one that is doing well and the others are dying slowly one at a time. I don't understand this. They are on a slight slope and have ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Starting Yarrow (Achillea) and Daucus from Seed July 16, 2014 I need to deadhead my cottage yarrow. I assume it has gone to seed. What do I do to plant it as seed? If I can do it, can I do it now or do I need to wait until spring. If I need to wait until spring,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Cutting Garden Plants for TN July 16, 2014 I would like to know what would be in a year round cutting garden in Nashville, TN for a novel I am writing. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| The Unusual Foliage of Green Dragon July 16, 2014 I was hiking last week (July 7-11, 2014) in Hocking County, Ohio and while in a gorge along a river I saw the weirdest plant I've ever seen in my life. It wasn't weird because it had bizarre flowers... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native Plants for a Steep Slope in TN July 15, 2014 Hello, I live in Knoxville, TN and have a very steep slope in our backyard. There is a lot of water erosion causing our grass to be covered with red dirt. I would love to try to plant something on thi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Groundcover for Shady Front Beds in OK July 15, 2014 I need a groundcover for my front beds in Edmond, OK that are moist and in full shade. The groundcover would primarily be around and under a Japanese maple. Low maintenance is preferred. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Optimal time for trimming Fall asters July 04, 2014 RE: fall asters What is the latest date in the summer that I can trim my fall asters and still get a good amount of blooms in October? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Competition between Horseherb and Chickweed July 04, 2014 Ok, sorry I did it wrong the 1st time!? I live in Houston, and I have chickens! I also have mass amounts of Horseherb, and I want to buy some chickweed seeds and plant it for my chickens! My question ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Verbena bonariensis won't bloom in Galveston, TX. July 03, 2014 My Verbena bonariensis is thriving, but never blooms. The plants look healthy, are about 6 feet tall and in full sun. The buds turn light purple but never open to flower. My neighbor's vb are ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wildlife Attracting Plants for a Shady Patio July 03, 2014 We have a concrete patio that receives 2-3 hours of sunlight a day, so the only plants we will be able to grow will be in container. We are looking for plants that do well in shade, and containers and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Reblooming Potted Iris June 12, 2014 I have a pot of iris bulbs that are giving me just a bunch of leaves this year. Last year I had wonderful big blooms. Any suggestions about what I could do to get some flowers? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Need to identify hemp-like plant in Bastrop, TX. June 09, 2014 What is the large stalky, hemp-like plant that populates our creek bottoms and ditches here in Central Texas? It has large 5-6 in. lobed leaves, and a fibrous central stalk that gets up to 7 ft tall. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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