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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Sunday - April 26, 2009
From: Greenwell Springs, LA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Thorns on non-native orange trees in Greenwell Springs, LA
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Navel orange tree has thorns, why is this?ANSWER:
The orange (Citrus sinensis) is a hybrid, possibly of pomelo (Citrus maximus) and tangerine (Citrus reticulata); it originated in Southeast Asia. As such, it is out of our area of expertise at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, where we concentrate solely on plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown. This Floridata website, Citrus Sinensis, has more information, and specifically says, "The twigs on many orange cultivars are thorny."More Non-Natives Questions
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October 25, 2013 - Will white-tail deer in central Texas consume King Ranch bluestem ?
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Planting a non-native rose on oak tree in Hutto TX
April 07, 2011 - I would like to consider planting an earth-kind climbing rose on the south side of my 12 ft oak tree. Is this a good idea? Will I create problems?
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Caring for non-native Peace Lily
July 04, 2005 - I have given my closet plant too much miracle gro and the leaves are drooping really bad. What do I need to do?
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How much water does St. Augustine require in Junction, TX?
February 12, 2012 - Can you point me towards a concrete study on how much water St Augustine requires to survive? Much appreciated - Native American Seed
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