Native Plants
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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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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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Thursday - April 17, 2014
From: Gulfport, MS
Region: Southeast
Topic: Invasive Plants, Non-Natives, Vines
Title: Ivy a suitable ground cover in Live Oaks from Gulfport MS
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Will Ivy be a safe and suitable ground cover for old growth Live Oak trees in coastal Mississippi?ANSWER:
We are assuming you are referring to English Ivy, which is both non-native to North America and invasive. Here is an article about Hedera helix (English Ivy) that we hope will help to convince you not to plant it, because once you plant it, you HAVE it and it won't go away. Regardless of its name, it is native to most of Europe and western Asia and most invasive.
If you will forgive us for being more than a little lazy today (Spring Fever), we would like to link you to some previous Mr. Smarty Plants answers dealing with this subject.
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September 02, 2006 - Please suggest some eradication methods for Johnson grass. It is established in a field that I want to encourage native wildflowers/plants such as goldenrod, prairie coneflower, blue eyed grass, milkw...
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Smarty Plants on invasive and exotic plant species
March 26, 2004 - Where can I go to learn more about invasive and exotic plant species?
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Comparisons of King Ranch Bluestem and Kleberg Bluestem grasses
September 03, 2008 - Regarding your answer to a question from Wimberly Tx on November 17 2007 about KR Bluestem: Many people confuse King Ranch Bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) with Kleberg Bluestem (Dichanthium annulatu...
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Information about empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
March 07, 2008 - I have an Empress Tree, 3 yrs old, and the limbs grow straight out from the trunk about 2-3ft and then grow straight upward. When do they start to grow outward for a canopy??
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Removal of thistles from Columbus TX
May 20, 2014 - I am sorry if you have an answer in FAQs but I could not find it.
We recently cleared property near Columbus Texas of many cedars (ash junipers). This spring we experienced a profusion of thistle -...
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