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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| Will shoes pick up American Beautyberry fruit and stain carpets? March 21, 2010 Do the berries from American Beautyberry fall on the ground so your shoes pick up the berries to stain the carpet in my house? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Shrubs for North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina March 19, 2010 What shrubs can I plant on the west-facing side of my home? The way the house sits, these shrubs will only get 2-3 hours of sun, but those 2-3 hours are end-of-the-day hot! Thanks!! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native trees or shrubs for containers on roof in Wisconsin March 17, 2010 Looking for native trees/shrubs to be planted in containers on a flat roof w/south-southeast exposure. Gets pretty warm in the summer and pretty cold in the winter. How big would the container have to... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs and ground covers for slope in Southern California March 13, 2010 Need suggestions for shrubs & ground covers for a west facing, 45 degree angle, sunny slope with compacted, poor draining soil. We live 2-3 miles from the ocean. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification and advice about moving it March 10, 2010 I have a plant (a thick stalk about 4 foot tall with yellow flowers on it) that blooms in the morning and the flowers fall off at night. I have searched for info on this plant and have come up short. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for a sunny, dry slope in NY March 01, 2010 Looking for plants, native to area, that are quick growing to a height of approximately 6" to 12" for a steep slope comprised of shale in a sunny location. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Non-invasive, modest-sized shrub for driveway edge February 24, 2010 I need a hedge type plant for the end of driveway so cars know how far they can drive in. I would like them to be 3'-5' and the roots not to be too heavy that they raise wood barrier or grow under g... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why are the leaves on my Laurel hedge turning brown in Everett, WA? February 22, 2010 Our laurel hedge seems to have brown leaves on the top of the bush. We haven't had a freezing winter so we are trying to figure out why some of the leaves are brown. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for steep slope in California February 21, 2010 I have steep slope, southwestern facing, minimal shade in Southern California. The soil is rocky. Because of fire danger, I would rather not plant grasses. Do you have a suggestion? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with Indian Hawthorn in Richmond TX February 19, 2010 I have a lot of Indian Hawthorne plants. I have noticed over the last couple of years that sporadically one will develope a brown area that looks like it was burned or had gasoline poured on it. The... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native shrubs to plant after Ashe Juniper removal February 15, 2010 I live on 7 acres of beautiful Texas Hill Country land just north of New Braunfels. Live oak, Cedar elm, and Ashe juniper dominate the landscape. I have cleared some of the Ashe juniper and would li... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small shrub with thorns for Austin February 08, 2010 I'm looking for a shade-tolerant 2-3' shrub with thorns, native to Texas (ideally central Texas) - an alternative to Barberry? Does such a plant exist? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Small shrubs and perennials, low maintenance, for San Antonio February 06, 2010 I am helping my 87 year old father landscape his yard in San Antonio. His small yard is about a block from the SA River, near the zoo, and has clay and loam from the river. He wants very low to low wa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs to stabilize steep slope in California February 03, 2010 Suggest shrubs to stabilize steep bank that are drought resistant and resistant to too much rain. Cape honeysuckle? oleander? bottle brush? What? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Low-growing evergreen shrubs for Bellville , TX February 02, 2010 I live north of Bellville, TX and have a 3-tiered retaining wall on the west and north sides of my house. What low growing (around 2' tall) evergreen shrubs would be good to plant here. The west si... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Brown leaves on Bottlebrush shrubs after freeze in Georgetown, TX January 31, 2010 I have Bottlebrush shrubs that have all brown leaves after the freezes that we have experienced here in central Texas. Will they be ok? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Duplicate of English holly for Eufaula OK January 03, 2010 I wish to have a shrub that would duplicate the red berries and foliage of English holly. Tolerance of cultivation is also desired. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plants for southwest Louisiana courtyard December 29, 2009 Hi, I live in southwest Louisiana,very close to Texas. I would like to remove the grass in my townhome backyard (east sun exposure) and create a courtyard by adding pavers. However I am planning on... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Trimming American beautyberry in Austin December 20, 2009 I have recently developed an interest in plants and since I work for a country club taking care of all the House & Grounds Maintenance, the landscaping is certainly a part of my work. I have a questi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Freeze damage to esperanza in pot from Brady TX December 10, 2009 My esperanza, currently in a container, has suffered some freeze damage. I have prepared a planting spot for it and am not sure whether to plant now, trim it back if I do plant it, etc. I would appr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrubs for playground barrier hedge in Darien CT December 07, 2009 I am working on my Eagle Scout project which is a barrier hedge in front of a playground at our town's baseball field to protect the kids from getting hit by balls. The fence would be 4 feet tall an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why is Rhus aromatica more deer resistant from Seattle December 07, 2009 I have a large area that I would like to cover with Rhus aromatica. My landscaper says that in his experience, Rhus typhina and glabra in this area are heavily browsed by deer. I noticed in your dat... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Prairie wattle for woodland area in Austin November 29, 2009 Can prairie wattle be grown in a woodland area? It would get part shade, with full sun for at least half a day. The soil is a bit rocky; location is Austin. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Fall shrub planting in Illinois November 22, 2009 I was given a Holly winterberry - Ilex Verticillata and it is now November. Should I plant it in a pot in the house for the winter or should I plant it outside now? Please give me some planting nstr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Leaf loss on Cenizo in Bertram TX November 17, 2009 I need help with a purple sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) problem. Most of one of my plants started having paler, more greyish leaves, then the leaves began to fall off. It seemed to still look healthy... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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