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?
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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Bees knees squeezing May 28, 2010 Barbara, Do the knees of bees help them squeeze if they please their wobbly, bobbly, knobbly balls of pollen? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
How and when to harvest bluebonnets. April 30, 2010 A previous answer mentioned harvesting bluebonnet seeds by pulling up the whole plant when the seed pods turn brown. Two clarifications - when do the seed pods turn brown as these plants are hard to ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Pot on a pillar in a pond in Pflugerville April 26, 2010 No question: Just a thanks to Barbara. You can't imagine how hard I laughed when I read the interpretation that I was going to plant Maximilians in a pot on a pedestal in the middle of a pond!!! S... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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 | ||
Need bug repelling plants in Arlington, VA February 08, 2010 What kind of plants are best bug repellents, and need little or no maintenance. I'm a city girl and don't like bugs (spiders) View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Is there an automated image download function for the NPIN Image Gallery? November 03, 2009 Hi, I have a database/web technical question. Do you provide an interface to retrieve photos from your website programatically? Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Is common yarrow a Texas native? October 16, 2009 Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, Is common yarrow Achillea millefolium a Texas native? Please enlighten me. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Disappearing sunlight in Phoenix, AZ September 29, 2009 I live in a condo in Phoenix, AZ with a north facing patio that goes out about 10 feet and is 20 feet wide. During the summer months there is a span of 1 foot in the front that goes the 20 foot length... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Why is my Weeping Fig crying leaves? July 27, 2009 I have a weeping fig that I bought Memorial day in Birmingham, Al. It has 8 or 9 trunks growing altogether. It sits on a porch with eastern exposure, only about 2 hours of sun. It has been losing l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Can tulip tree sap be used to make syrup in Bunker Hill IN? July 10, 2009 I was just wondering if tulip tree sap could be used to make syrup. I saw the sticky stuff on the leaves and decided to taste test it and it was very sweet, unfortunately I later found out that I was ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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