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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| Pollination of blackberries in Lake Winnebago, MO May 27, 2010 Not sure if blackberries are native, but my daughter got a start of one at a plant exchange at the nature center. Do we need more than one for it to pollinate correctly? We have strawberries growing i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Texas mail order nurseries for perennials from Centennial CO May 27, 2010 Can you advise Texas mail order nurseries for perennials? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| When is it safe to mow wildflowers in Castroville, TX? May 26, 2010 Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, My yard in Castroville, TX sprouted many wildflowers early in April. By now the Blue Bonnets are seeded and gone. However, I still have a lot of Mexican Blankets. My husba... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagating Texas Mountain Laurel by seed from Tucson AZ May 20, 2010 Propagation of Texas Mountain Laurel from seed View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Grafting edible plums onto Cherry Laurel in Austin May 18, 2010 Grafting edible plums onto Cherry Laurel - possible? Insane? What? Could I do that? Could I graft, say, Green Gage Plum, or Mexican Plum, or Saturn Peach, on a Cherry Laurel and have any success? I ha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with Shumard oak in San Antonio May 18, 2010 Hello. I live in San Antonio and Have a question about a Shumard Red Oak. It's growing at an average pace, seems a little more vigorous this year. It's a nice tree with great fall colors. HOWEVER, w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Transplanting and grafting pecan in Granbury TX May 18, 2010 I found several native pecans on my property this spring. Apparently they grew from nuts buried by squirrels. I put small protective fences around them and plan to dig and move them (bare root) next... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to tell the girls from the boys in wax myrtles (Morella cerifera) May 14, 2010 How would I be able to identify whether my wax myrtles are male or female plants? I was given two plants last fall (that came from a family members back yard) and the person who gave them to me didn'... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-blooming or fruiting Oregon grape holly in Elmhurst IL May 14, 2010 I have an Oregon grape holly bush that has never bloomed and has never had fruit. I have had the bush for at least 6 years, it is approximately 5 ft tall. Have had no problems, just no flowers/fruit.... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Should a bloom stalk be cut down in Yuma AZ? May 07, 2010 I have a plant in my front yard that looks like an aloe vera. It doesn't have any thorns or needles but does have a tall stalk like stem coming from the middle of it. The "stalk" is now approx. 5'... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How and when to harvest bluebonnets. April 30, 2010 A previous answer mentioned harvesting bluebonnet seeds by pulling up the whole plant when the seed pods turn brown. Two clarifications - when do the seed pods turn brown as these plants are hard to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Taking a cutting from Niagara grape in Warfordsburg PA April 27, 2010 How do I take a cutting from a Niagara grape plant, and then re-plant that cutting? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| 200 year old white oak with no acorns in Oregon City OR April 26, 2010 We have a white oak tree in our yard that is about 200 yrs old. We have lived in the house for 30+ years, and have never seen an acorn. We have had it pruned by an arborist, who said it is in good... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Adventitious sprouts on oak tree in Austin April 26, 2010 Hello, I have an Oak tree which was planted in about 2002, which has adventitious sprouts. The tree has always sent these up, and we cut them off below ground. The tree has always been a 'runt', b... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rooting house plants April 22, 2010 Hello Mr SP: I've had Philodendron house plants (many) for years now, because they're easy to grow & that's about my style. Years ago I tried to grow a new plant from a cutting off of one, but it... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Compact possumhaw holly for Plano TX April 19, 2010 What variety of possumhaw holly would be best planted close to a house? I'm looking for a variety 15-25 feet, as compact as possible. Any suggestions? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Propagation of Jack in the Pulpit in Lansing MI April 18, 2010 I just received some Jack in The Pulpit corms. Which way is up; does the pointy thing go up or down? Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Moving milkweed to another location in Maine, NY April 15, 2010 I live in up-state New York. I have a 'patch' of milkweed growing where I don't really want it to grow - but have left it because the butterflies and bees love it. I would like it to grow in my ba... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants that will grow under a magnolia tree. April 14, 2010 We live in California near San Diego and have a Magnolia Tree. We have tried to plant many types of flowers around the tree only to have them die. Is there a particular type of plant that we should ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Spanish Dagger plant interfering with walkway in Ingram TX April 09, 2010 I have a Spanish Dagger that is now 8 feet tall and about to fall over in a walkway. Due to the danger of these very sharp tips I need to either cut down the plant or try to root in and replant. If ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How to grow milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) for monarch butterflies March 31, 2010 I tried and tried and tried to grow Asclepias viridis, A. asperula and even A. oenotheroides from seeds and even tubers for fourteen years! Do you have advice for growing these and other milkweed plan... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Time to plant echinacea seeds in Austin March 28, 2010 When should I plant echinacea seeds in Austin? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Propagation of Lime Prickly Ash in Austin March 22, 2010 We found only one small what we think is Zanthoxylum fagara or Lime Prickly Ash, Colima on our 8 acres, and the deer had apparently recently broken the main stem. I quickly made 6 or 7 cuttings, dippe... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Time to mulch without inhibiting seeds in Hitchcock, TX March 17, 2010 When would be the best time of year to put down mulch, if I want my native plants to re-seed? I don't want to bury the seed under mulch layers or new dirt. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What kind of alcohol to use with Passiflora seeds? March 12, 2010 Hi, I read a question and answer related to gernmination of passiflora incarnata. You recommended a 5% alcohol/water solution to soak the seeds prior to sowing. I just want to make sure that you are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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