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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| Grapeland, TX is NOT Grapevine, TX July 25, 2013 I submitted a question and today received my answer. I do thank you for this valuable service. However, I stated that I lived in East Texas in GRAPELAND, Tx. Nan Hampton answered me and said that a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Erosion Control with perennials for a shady Dallas bank July 25, 2013 Thank you for your help with turf or perennials on a shaded bank, 4000 sq ft, for the Dallas area that has good roots, grows in semi shade to shade, is on a steep bank so cannot mow, and flowers the l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowers to bloom in next 4 months from Aransas Pass, TX July 24, 2013 Looking for seeds to put down that will bloom over the next 4 months or so in the southern gulf coast area View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for shaded area in East Texas July 23, 2013 I live in East Texas and have an area that is shaded most of the day - it only gets sun in the middle of the day but it is direct. What would be best? I would prefer something that won't freeze, bu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Red pods on Canna Lilies from Windsor VA July 21, 2013 What are the dark red pods on my canna lilies? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Poolside Groundcover Suggestions for Florida July 18, 2013 I live in Milton, FL near Pensacola. We just had a pool installed and now want to put groundcover around the perimeter. It will be an area about 70 feet long and 10 feet deep. It will be full sun. We ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Drought Tolerant Shrubs and Perennials in San Jose, CA July 18, 2013 Hello I am a SLT home owner in San Jose, Ca. and want to plant drought tolerant shrubs and perennials. We don't have irrigation but plan to put a timer on a nozzle and run some lines. At least I am t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Neighborhood association wanting wildflowers mowed from Grand Prairie TX July 14, 2013 For at least 15 years, I have been fostering growth of wildflowers in 60% of my 90x400' yard which include 150' utility trunkline easement in which I can plant no trees. This year, we had volunteer ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Are non-native hostas causing fly invasion from Eastpointe MI July 14, 2013 I live in Michigan with a small backyard. I have 5 large hostas with the purple flower blooms which are located by my patio. I was wondering if they can be causing my large population of unwanted flie... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is blue porterweed native to North America from Spring TX July 14, 2013 I recently purchased a blue porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis) plant from the native plant section of one of our local nurseries. I was surprised when I didn't find it on your list of native pla... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Source for two violas for Houston July 10, 2013 I live in Houston, TX. Can you tell me where I can buy viola rotundifolia and viola cucullata? I understand these are round-leaved yellow violet and marsh blue violet respectively. I stumbled on these... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Care of poppy plants July 10, 2013 I bought a tiny poppy grow kit at Target for 99 cents. Amazingly, they have grown into numerous large and very healthy plants, though they don't all appear to be the same species. Some have grown to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Ducks and geese resistant plants for a pond in PA. July 08, 2013 We have a pond in all shade and we have ducks and geese. We would like to plant something in the space between the walkway and the pond to add color, but they have eaten everything we've tried- fern... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Red beebalm in Austin, TX. July 04, 2013 Dear Mr.Smarty Plants - I purchased a bee balm plant from my favorite Austin nursery - Natural Gardner, and so was accessing your site for growing suggestions. My bee balm is red, and I didn't see a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Will maroon and Texas Bluebonnets prosper in Richland MO? July 02, 2013 I live in Richland, MO and have obtained both Maroon and Texas Bluebonnet seeds from Fredricksburg, TX. Will they prosper in this area and when is the best time to plant? I have read how and what type... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Recreating a wildflower meadow, central Texas July 02, 2013 We have an acre on our property that has bluebonnets. Unfortunately, it also has other plants that we don't want -Johnson grass, nettles, burrs. We plan to do a controlled burn in the fall and re-... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Unknown ailment of Turk's cap in northeast Texas July 01, 2013 I just moved from the Dallas area to Emory in the north east part. I brought two young Turk's cap plants in pots. I had to leave the mother plant behind. The tops have a very curled and shrunken a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Evergreen plant to cover parents' graves in Louisiana June 30, 2013 We want to plant ground cover on our parents graves in Plain Dealing Cemetery in north Bossier Parish LA. Soil is red clay/dirt. Want native plant, slow growing, short not tall plant, that might sta... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wet adapted plants for Virginia Beach VA June 28, 2013 I live in Virginia Beach, VA on Lynnhaven waterway (leads into Chesapeake bay, but at my point is more brackish). I've recently removed/contained bamboo with concrete and metal barriers and now want... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for area around salt water pool June 27, 2013 What are some plants that will grow around my salt water pool where there is some salt water runoff occasionally. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Standing Cypress Plants in San Antonio, TX June 26, 2013 I purchased seeds for standing cypress 2 years ago and this spring they look beautiful. What is the best way to harvest the seeds? Also, will the current plants come back next spring or will I have to... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowering plant for gravesite in Weatherford TX June 23, 2013 I want to plant flowering plant of some kind at parent's grave site in Weatherford, TX. The family cemetery is on a limestone hill with no irrigation or ability to water other than nature. Would on... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Source for Frostweed plants or seeds from Portland TX June 23, 2013 I am looking for somewhere I can buy Frostweed plants or seeds. I live in Portland, TX, but frequent San Antonio and the Hill Country. Can you help me with this? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Leaves of Chile pequin consumed overnight from San Marcus TX June 23, 2013 Something ate all the leaves of my Chile petin overnight. There is a ton of frass under the plants but no sign of a critter to be found. These plants have been in the same area for years and this is t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Forget-me-nots choking a spring in Bethlehem PA June 20, 2013 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, I am restoring a native plant area along a spring that feeds directly into our local creek. Right now the spring is becoming choked with forget-me-nots, that I am trying ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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