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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Water-Wise Privacy Hedge for California February 22, 2016 I would like recommendations for a privacy hedge that would grow at least 12 feet tall with non-invasive roots and hopefully water-wise in Los Angeles. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Drought-Tolerant Plants for Arizona July 16, 2015 Slowly turning south-facing lawn to drought-tolerant plantings with gravel paths. Mature Ponderosa and several blue spruce and junipers surround area. Grass area I'm converting with a few larger tr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Container Plants for Lubbock, Texas June 22, 2015 Hello! I am looking for plants suitable for container gardening for a west facing porch in Lubbock. Plants need to be super tough to endure the baking sun, constant wind, dry air, extreme temperatures... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plants for a sunny, sandy site in Central Texas January 22, 2015 I live between La Grange and Schulenburg, Texas. My soil is sandy. Full sun, no trees. I am a senior citizen with limited funds who is allergic to Rye and Bermuda grass. I tried planting a lawn of... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Converting a Texas backyard to grow Xerophytic native plants January 09, 2015 I am planning the conversion of our backyard, about 4000 sq ft of largely St Augustine, into a grassless landscape of hardscaping and native plants. I’ve been an avid gardener of rock garden plants i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Will Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri thrive in caliche soil? December 02, 2014 I live on a high hill in the Hamilton Pool area outside of Austin. I am looking to plant a Dasylirion wheeleri that I grew from seed collected in New Mexico aria East Of Soccoro. I am wondering if the... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Problem garden strip in Austin May 22, 2014 Currently I live in the west half of a duplex. There is a small strip of dirt about two feet wide between the wall and the sidewalk in the backyard. It faces west, meaning it only gets sunlight duri... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Appropriate use of redbud from Austin May 04, 2014 I am considering purchasing a hearts of gold redbud; I am also xeriscaping my front yard. I live in Austin,TX. Will this tree do ok in full Tx sun (8+ hours) with once a week watering? If this... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Five-eight foot hedge for north Texas September 06, 2013 I am looking to find a fairly large (preferably flowering) shrub / hedge to go along 100 feet of fence. The plants will be facing Northeast, but will be for the most part under the branches of crape m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Bringing upright a leaning cholla cactus August 29, 2013 I have a 3 ft. tall Cylindropuntia bigelovii that fell over after recent rains. I righted it and supported it with garden stakes for about a month. I was afraid to pull too hard on the low... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Non-native zoysia and bermuda grasses in Austin July 11, 2013 We have Bermuda grass in the front and Zoysia in the back yards. The back grass is fine but the front yard Bermuda isn't. We have watered once each week during the spring and during the past 3 weeks... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Dying non-native St. Augustine grass from Austin May 02, 2013 Although we all know St. Augustine grass is not a good thing, I am stuck with it and am trying to save areas that appear to have take-all fungus. I have done much reading online and have tried peat m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Replacement for shade grass in El Paso TX April 05, 2013 We currently have a Honey Mesquite tree with thinning bermuda grass underneath in our front yard. I suspect that the filtered shade is killing the bermuda. I was thinking of planting Buffalo Grass, or... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Starting over on a lawn in Heath TX April 02, 2013 Unless one counts dichondra as grass I have more weeds than grass in my yard.I have hand pulled the weeds and used an organic program without success. The soil is a hard clay typical of North Texas. I... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Surface tree roots hurting grass in Houston March 21, 2013 We have 2 mature Arizona Ash trees in our yard (30-40'). One of them is in a sunnier location and has developed an extensive network of surface roots (up to 1 to 1 1/2" Dia.) between the tree and th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Groundcover for Boston MA March 12, 2013 We have a small back yard that gets great sun in spring before the leaves are fully back on the tall trees surrounding the perimeter, and then a lot of shade in summer. We have weird patchy grass and ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Grass installation with plugs from Austin February 05, 2013 As much as I would love to use the seed mixture you suggest for Austin, I am not physically able to do the needed prep and was unable last year to get a professional. No one would even call me back wh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plants under Oak Trees in Austin TX December 10, 2012 Half of my small yard is in the shade of one big live oak and one kumquat. Nothing I plant grows in this shade. The other half of my yard gets sunlight. It is planted with Jasmine grass which grows w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Deer resistant plants from New Braunfels TX August 31, 2012 I have a 1/2 yard covered by a tree, shady. Bermuda grass previous owner planted has all turned brown this summer. I don't have lots of money to work with but would love to landscape that side of fr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
climbing vine for growth in sand July 11, 2012 I live in Grand Beach, MI. My house sits on a sand dune. I want to plant a flowering vine that will grow up a fence. The area has plenty of sand and I have a trickle watering system. Can you pleas... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Foundation plants for Albuquerque. July 01, 2012 Hello, I live in Albuquerque. I am looking for some native/xeric low water usage plants for foundation plants for my home. They will be foundation plants for a two story home that has a large ponde... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Ground cover under live oaks June 18, 2012 I have some areas under Live Oak trees (maybe 200 sq. ft.)that remain bare, in spite of trying Habiturf. Soil is dry, poor and shallow. Can you suggest a living ground cover that would not require m... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Non-native hylocereus undatus for Austin February 24, 2012 Can we plant Hylocereus (Dragon Fruit) here in Austin, TX? We are going to have a large xeriscape bed and want to know what all we can put in it. We are new to Texas so we have no clue what grows here... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Need to plant something in the cracks in my patio in Skipperville, AL. February 06, 2012 Mr. Smarty Pants, I have a cement patio full of cracks. I would like to grow some sort of plant or plants in the cracks. I live in lower Alabama, and my patio is in full sunlight. Do you have an... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Restoring fire damage in Bastrop TX November 03, 2011 I live in the Bastrop State Park area. We were severely affected by the wildfire and as we are trying to rebuild our home, we are being very aware of the particularities of the recovery process. We lo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Cenizos browning in Houston October 01, 2011 After this horrible drought, I am committed to xeriscaping with native Texas plants. The few hibiscus that survived have been transplanted into pots and are thriving. I bid the tiny boxwoods a fond fa... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Need suggestions for plants for a bird/small wildlife refuge in Wichita Co, TX. August 26, 2011 With our continuing drought in North Texas, I'm planning to transform my small backyard into a bird/small wildlife "refuge". What types of native plants and grasses can I plant in dry, hot Wichita ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Drought affecting native trees from The Woodlands August 18, 2011 I've been trying to grow native trees in my yard for the past 3 years and I'm starting to question whether the amount of time required to spend watering them during the long hot season in Texas is r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plants for small shady area with clay soil August 09, 2011 Many people have space between the sidewalk and the street in front of their homes. In that space in front of our house is a growing maple that provides a lot of shade. The space is very dry, with... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Low-maintenance native plants for Arizona March 12, 2009 Will you please suggest some Native plants that can be left without care for the summer and survive - other than cactus? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Native plants for flowers in rocky area in Ohio March 07, 2008 We have just built 4 raised beds on a slope in our backyard on Scioto River. The site is an old quarry so rocky soil below our raised beds & gets full sun majority of day from about 11am-7pm summer ti... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Management of xeriscape garden and rock mulch December 09, 2007 I have a large xeriscape garden; unfortunately, it is located near some pear trees which drop tons of leaves each fall/winter. The garden is difficult to clean of leaves until I cut back the plants. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Plants for xeriscaping in Georgia September 23, 2007 Please send info regarding plants for xeriscaping in middle Georgia zone 7b. Where to get booklets, etc. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Recommendations for native plants for Dallas Co., TX May 12, 2007 Looking for a Recommendation: Can you suggest a plant that meets the following requirements? ENVIRONMENT -- - I live in Garland, in Dallas County, TX. - The soil is primarily clay. - Full sun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Tired of mowing February 09, 2007 Please help, my husband got tired of mowing the lawn (bermuda grass) and recently decided to do a desert landscape by himself. Without researching, he mowed the dead grass and covered the whole area w... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Xeriscaping in clay on a slope in Fort Worth April 06, 2006 Xeriscaping in clay (Fort Worth) on a slope -- Please offer suggestions and publications. Thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Drought-resistant plants for Grand Prairie, TX March 24, 2006 Can you tell me where I may obtain a list of drought-resistant plants for landscaping? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Flowering native plants for Arizona October 19, 2004 I was wondering if you could help me? We are moving from California to Arizona, and I was wondering if you can tell me some flowering plants, or any plants that will thrive in the hot Arizona tempera... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
Native plant landscaping March 14, 2004 How does native plant landscaping differ from xeriscaping? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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