Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers Nan Hampton, Jimmy Mills and Barbara Medford to be the culpable and capable parties. Yet, others think staff members Damon Waitt, Joe Marcus and Philip Hawkins might 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.
Questions From Near You
Alexandria, VA
Plants to control hillside erosion in Virginia.
Good Morning, Mr Smarty Plants, I need your advice and guidance.
I live in a condo complex in Virginia and we have a hill/slope that is eroding. It also has two very nice tall trees that partially sh...
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Alexandria, VA
Is Ilex glabra Shamrock a female cultivar
I have an ilex glabra "shamrock". Is it a FEMALE cultivar?
I have only found information that the "compacta" and the "nigra" are females. I have a male ilex glabra and was hoping to have berrie...
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Alexandria, VA
Landscaping suggestions for small yard in Alexandria, VA
Hi Mr. Smarty Plants,
My husband and I are preparing to till up most of our back yard and redo it. I'd like to use native plants, but am open to cultivars of them (as in, a column-shaped Ilex glabra...
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Alexandria, VA
Locating source for Iva frutescens
Do you know where I can purchase the plant Iva Frutescens, sometimes called the Miracle Bush or Jesuit's bark?
Do you know if this bush attracts Monarch Butterflies?
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Alexandria, VA
Small native trees for northern Virginia
Mr. Smarty Plants, I am looking for a native alternative to a Japanese Red Maple in northern Virginia. I would like a small tree that I can put in my front garden that will not pose a security risk my...
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alexandria, VA
Shrub for barrier fence in Alexandria, Virginia
Hi. we need plants to act as a barrier fence, 15 feet tall, partial shade. We are considering a holly or virginia magnolia. What can you suggest?
thank you,
Nikita
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Alexandria, VA
Medicinal uses of Orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
What is the best way to extract the juice from the jewelweed plant? And, what can you do with it after that? I know it is considered a remedy for poison ivy and various other skin irritations. So then...
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Alexandria, VA
Seeds of mayflower
Although I now live in Virginia, I grew up in eastern South Dakota. Several years ago while visiting SD I was walking in the pasture and noticed that many of the wild mayflowers (pasqueflowers) had ...
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Alexandria , VA
Palm plant with lower inches browning in Alexandria VA
Palm plant 10 years old, about 5' tall, single trunk approximately 1" diameter, reddish green leaves about 12 to 14 inches long, original owner. All leaves on the lower 2 inches of plant leaves are ...
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Washington, DC
Smarty Plants on invasive and exotic plant species
Where can I go to learn more about invasive and exotic plant species?
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Washington, DC
Vine for Patio Wall in D.C.
I have a concrete patio wall 4 feet tall and 9 feet long in Washington, D.C. The wall runs east to west and there is a patio above it. I am looking for vines to cover it so that I would not have to lo...
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Washington, DC
Chickasaw Plum suckering potential in Washington DC area
I have planted some chickasaw plums around the border of my property. My property is surrounded by a wooded area, which then opens into a golfcourse.
Is there a chance that my chickasaw plums would...
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Washington, DC
Smarty Plants on Invasive Plants
How bad are invasive species?
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Washington, DC
Smarty Plants Exotic Species
What is an Exotic Species?
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Washington, DC
Smarty Plants Exotic Species
What Makes an Exotic Species Invasive? (When is a Guest a Pest?)
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Washington, DC
Smarty Plants on Invasive Plants
How many plants are invasive?
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Washington, DC
Replacing Nandina with natives for a schoolyard in Washington DC
Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
Our schoolyard now has some invasive plants in the landscaping that we would like to replace with native plants. We have four clumps of Nandina planted at each pillar along a...
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Washington, DC
Need suggestions for alternatives for Crape Myrtle in Washington, DC.
What can you recommend as native alternatives to the shorter (garden-sized) crape myrtle cultivars?
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Washington, DC
Something eating Monarda didyma in Washington DC
Please Help, I have a couple of Bee Balm, Jacob Cline, plants, whose leave are being eaten, by what I do not know. None of the nurseries around here seem to have ever heard of this happening to this p...
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Washington, DC
Rain garden plants for DC
Please recommend deep-rooted, native, perennial plants, 1-3 feet high, for an area that is moist and gets approximately 3 hours of day of afternoon sun. During rain storms this garden is in a low area...
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Washington, DC
Shrubs for a screen in DC
Live in Washington DC vicinity (zones: 7-8). Looking for hardy shrubs to screen a 47 foot long picket fence and provide barrier to neighbor. It is western exposure with sun light. Ideally evergreen, d...
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