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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| topic | question | |
| Is balsam gourd (Ibervillea lindheimeri) poisonous or edible? August 18, 2008 Is the Balsam Gourd edible or poisonous? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| White spots on Hibiscus leaves August 06, 2008 My hibiscus trees have white spots or splotches on the leaves. What is it and what can I do to get rid of it? Also, the birds are eating my tomatoes faster than i can grow them. I've used the owl &... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Edible plants native to Bexar County, Texas July 30, 2008 What types of edible plants are native to Bexar county? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Failure of highbush blueberry plant to produce in New Hampshire July 25, 2008 One of my highbush blueberry plants completely stopped producing. What can I do to revive it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dog eats horse herb (Calyptocarpus vialis) July 14, 2008 This is not a question but in response to one of your answers. My dog eats horse herb all the time. He seems to use it to calm his stomach or throat from acid indigestion. He had an ulcer and would... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to care for blueberries in Oregon July 11, 2008 New to oregon and to blueberry bushes - can you tell me the proper way to care for them - location-sandy, Oregon and unsure of which type of blueberry they are thank you View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Planting native blueberry bushes in Tennessee July 07, 2008 I have long wished to have wild blueberry bushes at my home. They are native to mountainous regions of my state, but I don't know whether or not it is reasonable to expect to be able to grow them wh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Recipe for cherry jelly from wild black cherry tree in Tennessee July 02, 2008 I think that we have a wild black cherry tree on our farm. I understand that the fruit is edible. Do you have a recipe for jelly or any other food product using this fruit? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information about Citrus mitis June 26, 2008 I was given a Citrus Mitis plant. It has beautiful white flowers and delicious looking tiny oranges.everyone in my office is asking if they're edible? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Tea made from timothy grass June 20, 2008 My mom and I have been drinking tea made from Timothy grass seed for many years, 40 at least. It is delicious, and refreshing. My question is can you see any harm in drinking tea made from the seeds o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Gardening books for Austin and Central Texas June 09, 2008 Hi, I'm looking for a book for my wife. She is a beginning gardener here in Austin. Do you know of an ideal book or two that covers vegetable gardening and gardening in general in Austin/Central Tex... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Citrus trees for Austin May 21, 2008 I am looking for citrus that grows in the Austin,Tx area. Could you offer any suggestions please? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Edible fruits and plants in Pennsylvania May 15, 2008 Can you give me a list of edible berries and plants that someone might find if they were hiking through the forest of Pennsylvania? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fruit trees from seeds May 07, 2008 Will fruit trees (primarily peach) produce fruit if grown from a seed? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis) edible? April 09, 2008 Hello, I find horse-herb everywhere. Is it edible, too? Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Edibility of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) acorns October 24, 2007 Is the acorn of the Bur Oak edible? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Weed prevention in vegetable gardens September 26, 2007 Mr.Smarty Plants - I know this isn't your area, but we have a vegetable garden that has been plagued by summertime weeds. Do you have a recommendation for a control plan we could implement during t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Toxicity of leaves and berries of lantana July 19, 2007 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants!!! I live in Columbia, SC and have fallen in love with the Lantana or Lanta plants. I have a lot of them because of their rapid growth. My question is -- in addition to all t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Edibility of fruit of Passiflora incarnata July 19, 2007 We have Passion flower vines growing, blooming and producing fruit all over our property and the land nearby. They are growing wild. We are near Greensboro, Georgia which is barely in the Northeast pa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Medicinal qualities of Monarda clinopodioides June 19, 2007 Monarda clinopodioides Gray basil beebalm Could you tell me if the above-mentioned plant is edible or has any medicinal use? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Mulching vegetables with straw June 13, 2007 I have a small garden with 4 different veggies, tomatoes, hot peppers, squash & cucumbers. which plants is it OK to put straw under? which plants will straw hurt the stalks or other possibilities? tha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wild onions in southwest Michigan June 06, 2007 During the spring every year there are "Volunteer Onions" that grow in my lawn and garden. I live in Michigan, sw. question---are these onions? what are they--they smell like onions--- can they be e... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Coexistence of rubus trivialis and American beautyberry May 28, 2007 I'm growing some rubus trivialis in a 1-gal. pot and plan to plant it this fall. Will this dewberry coexist with American beautyberry, or must it have its own space entirely? If it needs its own sp... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Edibility of Rumex hastatulus (heartwing sorrel) March 25, 2007 My mother and aunt, who are in their 80s, tell stories of eating a plant, when they were girls in North Central Texas. They call the plant "sheep shire". My mother says that it is a flat weed, that... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for making dyes for organic cotton October 07, 2006 Looking to dye my own organic cotton for my new line of organic clothing and I want to grow the plants for making the dyes in my own garden. Any suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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