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

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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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!

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Thursday - February 06, 2014

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Lists, Rainwater Harvesting, Rain Gardens
Title: Rain garden plants for Central Texas
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

Do you have a list of rain garden plants for Central Texas?

ANSWER:

Because of our persistent drought, the City of Austin is promoting the utilization of rain gardens. There are several web sites relating to this, including the following and this one as well.

Further information regarding care and propagation of any of the species listed can be found at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database,

If your rain garden will feature a pond or permanent wetland, I suggest that you consult this recent list of wetland plant species suitable for the Austin area.

I sincerely hope that your interest and preparations will be rewarded with frequent refreshing rains.