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.
Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
Search Smarty Plants
| topic | question | |
| Member of Taxus genus native to southern Illinois from Granite City IL July 12, 2013 Is there a native Southern Illinois similar to Taxus baccata? I live in Granite City IL and am looking for a native plant/scrub that stays green year round about 2-3 feet tall to it helps insulate the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Watering a Montezuma Cypress in Spring Branch, TX July 11, 2013 Live near San Antonio, and have a Montesuma Cypress, 15 ft tall. Great soil. Planted in April, should I keep it moist??? The foliage is getting brown. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Texas persimmon with scorched leaves from Austin July 11, 2013 I planted a Texas Persimmon seedling (five gallon) in my yard in early April. It is in a sunny, well-drained spot, and I have watered it regularly since planting. All was fine until the last weekend i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for heavy clay in Sonoma County, California July 10, 2013 Hi, I live in Northern California, Sonoma County, and would like to transition my front garden into mostly native plants. Trouble is, my soil is clay, yicky, heavy clay, and some of the natives I've ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Spots on persimmon tree leaves from Dripping Springs TX July 10, 2013 We are in rural Hays County Texas off Hamilton Pool Rd Texas. Large persimmon trees are turning yellow, blackish spots on underside of leaves. What do we do? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Leaf drop from live oaks in mid-summer July 08, 2013 We have a live oak that is starting to drop a considerable amount of leaves here in early July in Cypress Texas. Its a mature tree with a base diameter of 12-14" and 25-30' tall. We live in a subd... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Old oak tree dropping leaves in Hazlet Township NJ July 08, 2013 I am 84 yrs old and have a 50 year old pin? oak. No more acorns, but the leaves are falling in clumps and are still alive. Every day I fill a huge garden bag with them. I live on a fixed income and... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Fast-growing medium-sized tree for New Jersey July 06, 2013 I'm looking for trees to put on a slight slope that will do well in rocky clay soil. I 'm in N.J. zone 6. The spot is full sun and would like a fast grower 50 ft high maximum. I'm replacing white p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Tree with taproot for Jodhpur India July 05, 2013 I am a resident of India. I need information of a tree with tap roots to grow in my backyard. We have moderate to hot climate here. It needs to be as small as possible due to lack of space. It'd be g... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Grafting Pecan Trees July 05, 2013 I have planted two pecan nuts and now they are about 4 feet tall trees, they have not been grafted but can I graft one of the trees to the other and vice versa and expect pecans from then, they are he... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Chlorotic disease in scrub oak from Katy TX July 04, 2013 Please tell me how to treat my scrub oak as it has chlorotic disease. Parts of the tree are fine and others have yellow leaves. It has not been injured in any way. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Privacy hedge for Palm Springs CA July 04, 2013 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants I have a 6 foot block wall, and my house is elevated, and I need a privacy hedge or tree (even flowering) to create more privacy. I do not want to use Ficus as I hear they can d... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Problems with non-native weeping willow from Hazlet NJ July 03, 2013 Leaves turning yellow on weeping willow planted in May. What causes this and how can I fix it? Mother's Day gift after SANDY uprooted huge tree. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-native Sago palm roots damaging house foundation from Keystone Heights FL July 03, 2013 Will sago palms roots hurt a house's foundation if too close? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Oak roots damaged by ax from Austin July 03, 2013 Hello. I am attempting to create my own tiny copy of the Wildflower Center within my yard. I'm using all native, drought tolerant plants. My front yard is full of live oaks. I used a sod cutter la... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| User comments on soils from Austin July 02, 2013 You had a question this month about chlorosis in a Mexican plum in Bellaire. You correctly, in my opinion, answered that the problem was most likely overwatering. However, I just wanted to point out a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What grows in Tampa FL July 01, 2013 Please let me know what grows in the backyard in Tampa, FL to provide screening and privacy? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Killing regrowing shoots of a downed hackberry tree June 28, 2013 Hackberry plants won't die. You and others have suggested to cut the suckers or saplings to get rid of them. Over the years I have continued to cut the same saplings and the only thing I have now ar... 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 |  | |
| Privacy Screening of House Next Door in NC June 26, 2013 Hello, I live in the house my parents bought in 1971 in Winston-Salem, NC. The house beside me is an eyesore and for sale at a very low price. I am afraid the condition of the house and yard next door... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Flowering tree with non-invasive roots from Palos Verde CA June 24, 2013 Want a flowering tree with noninvasive roots for Palos Verdes, CA. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Changing colors on Mexican Plum trees from Bellaire TX June 20, 2013 The leaves on my Mexican Plum tree have recently started turning yellow/brown and the veins in leaves are red. Is this a watering issue or disease issue? Mites are on the leaves. This has been a ra... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can poisonous seed of wild plum be safely removed after steaming from Seymour IA June 20, 2013 I read on a related questions that you said the pit/seeds of all wild plums are poisonous. My question is this, can I juice the entire fruit for making jelly without removing the pit first? I have a s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Can Monterrey Oak be topped into a bush from Austin TX June 16, 2013 I received a suggestion to use Monterey oak as privacy hedge by topping the small tree and letting it bush. I can't find any pictures or info on this being done though. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Trouble with live oak in McKinney, TX June 13, 2013 We moved into a suburban home with a live oak tree with a trunk diameter of about 50". I noticed recently how yellow the leaves look compared to the other live oak in the yard. There is not a pattern... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| topic | question | |