Native Plants
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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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| Is western soapberry (Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii) dioecious? February 15, 2008 Hi! I found different information on the flowering habits of the western soapberry, Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii. Is it dioecious or polygamo-dioecious or none of them? I have some little seed... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Looking for yellow bottlebrush (Callistemon sp.) and native substitutes February 14, 2008 I have been looking for years for a yellow bottle bush. It is identical to the red but is yellow. there are several varieties, but the one i want is just like the red one in appearance. I live in Flor... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) trees, concern about cultivars February 06, 2008 I would like to place some yaupon in the perimeter areas of my yard. I own other rural property that has an abundance of yaupon and was considering trying to transplant some small bushes. Is yaupon ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for wildlife habitat in West Virginia February 05, 2008 We live in the southern region of Summers County in West Virginia. Our yard has a lot of shell and small rocks in it; it is in direct sun light. I would love to have a welcoming hummingbird, butterfly... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Protection of live oak trees from covering by concrete patio February 02, 2008 I am thinking about pouring a large cement patio around my live oak trees in my yard. I live in Rockport Tx. How far should the edge of the cement be, from the base of the tree? Will the patio kill th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Determination of the sex of Mexican persimmon (Diospyros texana) January 30, 2008 Last spring, I planted a persimmon fruit from a Mexican Persimmon. I now have 6 small seedlings coming up. Since they all came from the same seed source - 1 black persimmon, will they all be male tree... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen replacement for liveoaks with oak wilt in Austin January 26, 2008 One day after moving into our very first home and first home in Texas (just north of the Wildflower center in Sendera Southwest Austin) we discovered that all of our Live Oaks have Oak Wilt. After tre... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fruit trees for South Austin. January 25, 2008 I live in South, South Austin, just a pinch West of 35 near 1626. I would like to plant some fruit trees in the back yard. Anyone will sell fruit trees, but they don't always grow. What fruiting var... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Moving a red oak away from the house foundation January 24, 2008 About a 3 weeks ago I noticed a 5 ft. red oak growing in my flower bed. I hadn't noticed it growing up through my shrubs until the leaves turned bright red. The problem is that its coming up about tw... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Possible fungus growing on mountain ash (Sorbus sp. or Fraxinus sp.) January 20, 2008 We have a mountain ash with something growing several feet off the ground that looks like duckbills or mushrooms. Can you tell me what is wrong with it. We lost one mountain ash tree to something an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Inflorescence of the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) December 28, 2007 What kind of flower inflorescence do sycamores have? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native landscaping plants for Sherman, Texas December 19, 2007 We are starting from scratch on landscaping our new yard. We live in Sherman, TX and I would like to use plants and flowers that are native to Texas and have a good chance of surviving. What are you... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information about Lemon Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) December 16, 2007 Lately, I've been seeing references to a tree/shrub called a "lemon cypress tree". It looks like a standard Italian cypress, but the foilage is yellow. I cannot find any reference to this plant e... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Seed germination for sugar maple (Acer saccharum) December 15, 2007 How can I germinate sugar maple?(step by step, please) I have some seeds but can't make them grow directly outside, so could you recommend a method which takes place inside?! I've heard something ab... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Red oak (Quercus shumardii or Q. buckleyi) for small yard. December 13, 2007 Hello, I want to plant a red oak but my yard is not large. I'm looking for a red oak that is medium size in width. The height is not so much of a concern. From what I've read, the Shumard is m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rhododendrons Hydrangeas in Indiana December 13, 2007 I live in very southern Indiana. Our home faces west and at the front of our home I have planted three rhododendrons. The furthest south is growing well the two to the north not so well. All three h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Recommend native plants Florida December 12, 2007 I live in Fort Meyers Florida. Can you recommend some good native tress and shrubs for my landscape? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native trees with yellow fall leaves December 10, 2007 Hello, I want to plant a medium sized tree in my back yard that has yellow foliage in the fall. I've seen Yellow (in the fall) trees in my part of town (south Austin around West William Cannon)th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Desert willows in Florida December 07, 2007 I'm in Dunnellon, FL and I'm growing several chilopsis linearis from seeds, but they are coming in long, tall with very few leaves. and continuously fall over from their lanky growing ways. Any idea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native substitute for traditional Christmas tree December 01, 2007 Could you give some recommendations for a substitute of the traditional Christmas tree used during the holiday season? The low light/humidity conditions in the home is a challenge under any circumsta... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mimosa shape November 27, 2007 I planted a summer chocolate mimosa, and although it has bloomed lovely foliage, it has two main branches growing in a vee shape. Is this normal? Do I need to do anything to spur the growth in a more ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for full-sun landscape November 20, 2007 I live in a very rocky area just outside of Fort Worth, TX. It's taken me all spring, summer & now I'm going into the fall, to landscape just 30 feet in front of my house. The front of the house get... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Growth on trunk of Eastern Redbud November 14, 2007 My seven yr. old Eastern Redbud has a large patch (12x4inches) of white grey, shell or mushroom-like growth on the trunk. The bark has a wide split so the growth is on the layer of wood inside the sp... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Eastern red cedar for indoor Christmas tree November 06, 2007 I would love to have a live b&b or container tree for a Christmas tree, then plant it in the ground after Christmas. Would a Eastern Cedar survive if I brought it inside for a couple of weeks before p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is Carolina laurel (Prunus caroliniana) a good choice for San Juan Islands, Washington? November 03, 2007 What are the prospects for Carolina laurel here on San Juan Island, mixed in with thin stand of douglas fir, about 50 feet from shore, eastern exposure? Water is available but little sun because of l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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