Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Saturday - April 11, 2015

From: Bonham, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shrubs, Trees
Title: Need plants to replace Red Tipped Photinias in Bonham, TX
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I have 7 red tipped photinias that had all their leaves eaten last summer by an infestation of grasshoppers. I do mean all. They are or were about 10 years old. Can you tell me if they will grow back or are they toast?

ANSWER:


Red tipped Photinias are leafing out now all over Austin, so if your plants survived the grasshoppers, they should be letting you know about now.

The mission of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes, so if your Photinias didn’t survive, Mr. Smarty Plants suggests that now would be a good time to replace them with a suitable native plant. The Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) has a program called Natives Instead of Common Exotics (NICE) that encourages the use of native plants in Texas landscapes. To learn more about the program, contact the Collin County Chapter of NPSOT.

To look at options for replacing your Photinias you can go to the Native Plant Database  where you can search for 8,264 native plants by scientific or common name, or choose a particular family of plants.  Scroll down to the Combination Search Box, and mnake the following selections: select Texas under State, Shrub under Habit, and Perennial under Duration. Check Sun (or whatever fits your situation) under Light requirement, Dry under Soil moisture, Evergreen under  Leaf retention, and 6-12 ft. under Height (or what ever you desire for the size). Click the Submit Combination Search Button, and you will get a list of of 30 plants that meet these criteria. Click the scientific name of each plant, and you will pull up the NPIN page for the plant that includes characteristics of the plant, growth requirements, and in most cases photos. Check out the list to see which plants would fit in your growth environment. You can redo the search, changing various criteria, and generate a different list.

 

More Trees Questions

Will Prunus caroliniana (Carolina laurelcherry) be toxic to chickens?
July 25, 2010 - We are considering planting Carolina Cherry Laurels around our yard for dense hedging purposes. We are concerned because we have a small flock of free-ranging chickens who eat every seed and leaf in ...
view the full question and answer

Is Goldenball leadtree really evergreen, as we state?
January 17, 2016 - Please would you confirm that Goldenball leadtree Leucaena retusa is evergreen as stated on this website and not deciduous as stated by Wasowski in Native Texas Plants? Thanks
view the full question and answer

Taproot tree to replace willows by pool
June 23, 2008 - Installing Pool with bomanite decking all around it. We're in process of cutting down 18 year old Weeping Willow due to root invasiveness and small messy leaves. Can you recommend a good shade tree w...
view the full question and answer

Double trunks on bur oaks in Houston
March 15, 2010 - I am involved in a garden club propagation project. One of the trees we have had success propagating is the Bur Oak. Two of these baby Bur Oaks have multi trunks..one has two and the other has three....
view the full question and answer

Black spots and fuzzy circles on live oak leaves
November 20, 2010 - We live in Georgetown Texas and have many Live Oaks on our property. Lately some leaves have fallen off which have fuzzy round circles on the back along with some little raised black dots. Should we...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.