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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| Identification of vine in New York May 15, 2012 I have a flowering vine that grows against my home and I'm not sure what it is, but it's beautiful with a delicate scent. The flowers look like clusters of mini purple pea pods hanging downward befo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| How to propagate Clematis texensis in Austin, TX? May 14, 2012 How do I propagate a Clematis texensis Buckl. Scarlet leatherflower from the seed pod? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Unusual vine in San Diego County, California May 12, 2012 Dear Mr. or Ms. Smarty Pants, I came across an unusual vine winding through a young Zumaque growing off the edge of a mesa in San Diego (coastal sage scrub). The small (fingernail-sized)leaves rough... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need care instructions for Cardiosperma halicacabum in Little Rock, AR> May 11, 2012 I'd like to find out how to cultivate & care for a balloon vine/heart seed vine/love in a puff vine which I found growing wild in my yard (in Little Rock, Arkansas). There seems to be very little in... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Flowering vine for shade in Southern California May 11, 2012 Flowering climbing plant for shade in Palm Desert, CA. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Restoring the woods in Central Austin. May 08, 2012 I live in Austin, south central between Red Bud trail close to the low water bridge and Bee Caves road. My question: I want to make the wooded sections of my yard attractive. They have filtered sun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Rash resulting from cutting trees in NC. May 08, 2012 My boyfriend was cutting some trees yesterday. He had thorns in his hands after he was done, and today he has a rash on his legs, a fever and he feels like throwing up. Can you tell me if its symptoms... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vines for Texas Panhandle May 07, 2012 I need a fast-growing vine for our pergola that does not attract bees or wasps. It will be in full sun in the panhandle of Texas--two hours north of Amarillo. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Eradicating trumpet vine runners in Austin April 29, 2012 How do I eradicate trumpet vine runners from my lawn? Will it kill my pecan tree? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Should Ipomea alba be planted in a yard in Spring, TX? April 23, 2012 I would like to know if there is any reason not to plant Tropical Morning glory (Moon Flower-Ipomoea alba)in my yard. Is it toxic or aggressivley invasive? I am looking at a space in my side yard wi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Purchase source of Coral honeysuckle from New Boston TX April 21, 2012 I have been unable to find a supplier in the listings on your website for Lonicera Sempervirens. Many of them had a variety of different plants listed under this name but none were the 20' species. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Folsom CA Wall-cover April 13, 2012 I live in Folsom, CA and I have an ugly cinder block wall that I want to cover, I want something that is low maintenance and that is going to grow and spread into my grass. The only one i can really t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Vines to Complement a Fence April 10, 2012 I have a 3' weathered picket fence that I want to plant a flowering vine on part of it. The vine must be perennial, tolerate full sun and low watering. Is there anything besides trumpet, cross vine, ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Looking for a supplier for Mustang Grape vine in Austin, TX> April 02, 2012 I'm looking for a supplier in Austin that will have a Mustang Grape Vine seed or plant for purchase. I found Natives of Texas in Kerrville, but if you know of a supplier in Austin, that would be pre... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Native vine to replace non-native Ficus pumila creeping fig April 01, 2012 What is a good evergreen alternative to ficus pumila to cover a rough-textured concrete wall in Houston TX? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Controlling Passionflora Incarnata propagation March 20, 2012 Would a cinderblock raised bed, 8 inches in height, be sufficient to contain the roots of passiflora incarnata and keep them from traveling to places where I don't want the vine? Are the roots deepe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Bignonia capreolata (crossvine) poisonous? March 18, 2012 I need to know whether any part of Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) is poisonous. Am thinking of planting it at an Elder Day Center for people with memory problems and the director insists - no toxic ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants in bloom in April in Stuart FL February 24, 2012 Can you tell me which plants I might reasonably expect to see in bloom in April of this year? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Vines for Poolsides February 22, 2012 We would like some color along the pool, but do not want anything with flowers because of the pool. Are there any non-flowering vines that will grow in full sun in Arizona? We have 2 trelis' that we ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for roadside in Gallatin TN February 19, 2012 What native plant would you suggest that we try to establish on 100 feet of road frontage which gets full afternoon sun? The soil is mostly clay, and it's on a rather sleep hill about 10 feet high. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wisteria and Non-Poisonous Native Vines February 15, 2012 I'm from central Texas and I'm wanting to plant a native vine that will work well around the public, mainly kids. It's a mostly sunny trellis that makes an arch. I'd like to plant the native Wiste... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Edibility of peppervine berries from Madison MS February 09, 2012 I am following up on a question I've posed to many well experienced foragers and naturalists regarding the pepper vine plant or Ampelopsis arbor. There are many conflicting stories regarding the edib... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| When to prune Texas Coral Honeysuckle in Iredell, TX? January 31, 2012 When can I prune Texas coral honeysuckle? It needs to be pruned so that it will fill out. Also, how much do I prune it? Thank you, View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Plant identification of vine in Tennessee January 06, 2012 I have this vine that grows in my backyard and on the vine there are green balls about half the size of a hedge apple and inside balls are a bunch of seeds. The deer love to eat these. Do you know wha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is there a vine in Indiana with poisonous thorns? December 27, 2011 I was cut at the left big toe by a brownish/red thorny vine while tracking thru dry grass near the bridge exiting 278. I'm from Indianapolis, in 46208. Was wondering if I was exposed to a poisonous v... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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