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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| Evergreen shrubs for urns at entryway in Midland, Texas November 16, 2009 I am looking for plants for large urns at my entry .. prefer something evergreen. The urns are about 3' tall with an opening of 10-12" .. also prefer a plant that is not too bushy or whose roots wi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Wax myrtle or cherry laurel in Austin? November 15, 2009 For a very shady area under a large old oak tree with oak toxic soil, would a Wax Myrtle or a Cherry Laurel (caroliniana) be better? Looking for an evergreen screening tree up to 20ft, but it only get... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information on various plants from Alamo TX November 15, 2009 Have you heard of the following plants: Butterfly Iris,Compact Nanpina, Red Dwarf Turks? I would like to know some details on the above plant: size, flowers?, drought tolerant, where to plant Thanki... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning Texas Mountain Laurel November 12, 2009 How much can I prune a 10 year old mountain laurel to re-shape it and when? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Foundation Plants for South Carolina November 07, 2009 What native plants are suitable as foundation plantings? My soil is heavy clayey loam with red clay subsoil. I live in Charleston County. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How can I distinguish between Wax Myrtle and Dwarf Wax Myrtle? November 04, 2009 I need help identifying between a southern wax myrtle and a dwarf wax myrtle. I am after the bigger type and think my landscaper accidentally put in dwarves. How can I tell? I had 8 put in and their l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Why is my yaupon tree not producing berries in Metairie La? November 04, 2009 What is the lifespan of a Yaupon Tree? We live in Louisiana, and our Yaupon would always get the white flowers in the Spring but never the red berries. Why is that? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Fall flowering purple shrub for Bloomfield Hills MI October 28, 2009 Need a fall flowering shrub for my temperature zone, preferably purple. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rose varieties for Alabama October 26, 2009 What climate and soil types will Rosa Rogosa, a plant that grows in MA, require? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Evergreen shrubs for full sun in North Carolina October 21, 2009 We need suggestions for native NC evergreen shrubs that will grow well in full sun for a school garden. Most of what I've found likes part shade. We need something that will not be over 10 feet or ca... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for area around pool in Plano, Texas October 13, 2009 I just built an in ground pool in Plano, Texas and now want to landscape around it on my own. I am curious what plants/shrubs you recommend. There will be plants/shrubs on three sides of the pool. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Landscaping for a wedding in Memphis MO October 13, 2009 I am pretty new at this landscaping flower thing, but I love it. We just moved out to the country in NE Missouri from Colorado (Huge difference, but love it). We have decided to have our wedding at o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Leaves falling off a hibiscus twice a year in Woodland Hills CA October 09, 2009 I have 8 hibiscus bushes and only 1 of them loses its leaves twice a year. Why? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Non-blooming climbing rose in Conroe, TX October 09, 2009 I have a climbing rose and it has never bloomed and has no thorns, it was a cutting from another rose bush. I have given it water and fertilize and have mulch around it also. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Pruning overgrown spicebush shrubs in Ohio. October 08, 2009 I have 2 spicebush shrubs, a male and female, on the north side of my house. They have been there for years, but like everything else I have ever planted, they grow way larger than the catalog i boug... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Viburnum insect damage October 08, 2009 I have a highbush cranberry that gets covered in 1/4in black bugs every spring. It makes lots of holes in the leaves. What are they and how can I get rid of this insect.I have tried neem oil but it do... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Native plants for morning sun in Pembroke MA October 07, 2009 Could you please suggest native groundcover,plants/shrubs/grasses for eastern facing slope which gets morning sun? It is my front yard which slopes down toward driveway so it would be a major focal po... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Coralberry in Central Texas has lost leaves October 07, 2009 I planted a coralberry this past spring. It seemed to be doing well, but then I noticed some of its leaves were missing. Gradually, all the leaves disappeared, from the top of the plant down. It is ab... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for wet soils in North Carolina October 03, 2009 I'm looking for evergreen plants (shrubs or ground cover)that will tolerate wet conditions for the zone 8 area of North Carolina. The local garden centers here do not stock these types of plants, eve... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Purple sage with black residue on leaves in Georgetown TX October 02, 2009 I have 2 very healthy tx. purple sage that have developed a black residue on some leaves, and is a "sticky" substance..any ideas what this is and how to treat??? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shaping cenizo in Duncanville TX October 02, 2009 Our Silverado Sage, which we expected to be 4' to 5' high and wide based on the label when we purchased it about 10 years ago, is nearly 7' tall and very random in shape (not the evenly rounded sha... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plants for clay soil in Leavenworth IN October 02, 2009 I live in south central Indiana; the soil is very bad clay, either hard as a rock or mud. I have made several raised beds but am still having problems with plants rotting. What types of plants work he... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Dog and kid barrier in East Wenatchee WA October 01, 2009 I have about a 8 foot section between my driveway and the neighbor's yard, and their kids and dogs like to run through it! I would like to plant a non-invasive 4-6 foot growing shrub/bush of some s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wintering a Lemon Cypress tree in Eagan MN September 29, 2009 I Have a 2 1/2' Lemon Cypress Tree. I'm wondering if I can leave it outdoors for the winter, if not, how would I winter over indoors? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Problems with transplanting cenizo in Weatherford TX September 29, 2009 I tried to transplant a Silverado Sage into a large pot but within 1 day it started wilting. Could it be the soil? I used potting soil not soil from the ground which is a sandy soil. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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