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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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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Weeds from neighbor's yard are a problem. May 11, 2015 Our neighbor has let his front yard go wild. Many of these native wild plants are very invasive. How can I stop their spreading into our yard? There are too many to try & keep up with pulling them as ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
What to do about bastard cabbage in the Austin area? May 08, 2015 I am noticing bastard cabbage taking over roadsides and medians at an alarming rate where a mixture of native flowers used to bloom. Is it allowable to organize efforts to pull the invasive plants ou... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Looking for non-native Chinese Pistache tree April 23, 2015 Where in the Austin area would be a good place to find a nice sized Chinese Pistache to plant in my yard? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Removal of Ashe juniper trees April 19, 2015 I have 15 acres with scattered huge oak and elm trees with tens of thousands of Ashe Juniper (cedar) trees 2” to 10” in diameter growing within the drip zone of the hardwoods. How do I take out the c... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Identification of mystery tree in Huntington Beach, CA March 25, 2015 Have a "tree" that has grown from about 18" tall to about 10' tall in a little over a years time. It has a central trunk that is about 3/4" in diameter at it's largest. It has short thin branch... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plant native Lantana urticoides and not non-native March 09, 2015 San Antonio Water System does not want to assist invasive plants but we want to encourage Lantana sp but we need to know what Lantana camara hybrids are sterile View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
How to eliminate Sawgrass from a small lake in Lindale, TX? February 23, 2015 We live on a small acre lake (about 65 acres) and the majority of the lake is surrounded by what the locals are calling saw grass. From the description on the website, I believe they are correct. The... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Replacement for waxleaf privet December 15, 2014 i just removed some waxleaf privet due to reading about the invasive and allergy problem to it. Is indian hawthorn blueberry muffin any better? what shrub do you recommend? I want it to grow about 6-1... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Controlling non-native Pennisetum frutescens (Naked fountain grass) December 07, 2014 Three years ago I bought a pennisetum frutescans grass from a reputable online nursery. It gets no supplemental water, but it is taking over my yard. It is almost 7 feet wide now. Can you tell me how ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Does Acacia farnesiana (Huisache) have agressive roots? November 30, 2014 Hello, Do you know if the Huisache tree has an aggressive root system? I have a few in proximity to my septic draining field and I need to know if I should cut them down to prevent clogging of t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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