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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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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Tuesday - September 04, 2012

From: Whitney, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Pests, Trees
Title: Sticky film on oak tree leaves from Whitney TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

What is the sticky film that is coating leaves on our oak trees?

ANSWER:

Aphid poop. Sorry, you did ask. Since Hill County is in Central Texas, we are going to link you to several answers to similar questions in Central Texas.

Aphids are unusually bad this year, and we have answered many questions on them. From the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program, here is an article on managing aphid infestations.

Here are some previous answers to help you out:

Austin Aug. 8, 2012

Austin July 30, 2012

Austin July 14, 2012