Explore Plants
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.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Saturday - June 05, 2010
From: Richardson, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Problems with giant coneflower in Richardson TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Dear Mr Smarty Plants- I have had a giant coneflower in my garden for 2 years now. This year it came up like it always had..got lots of leaves and then withered..turned brown and died. It got plenty of sun and I have no idea why it just up and died. Needless to say I am heart broken. Can these coneflowers survive Richardson/Dallas winters? Is there something else I should know about them perhaps?ANSWER:
We recently had a question about a plant that had been thriving simply dying overnight. A little discussion and detective work gave us the idea this was animal damage, as in cats or dogs using it for a bathroom. If you know you have cats and/or dogs loose in your neighborhood, you could at least consider that possibility. Depending on where you are, it could be animals eating the roots, although it would not have died so abruptly. If your Rudbeckia maxima (great coneflower) came up in the Spring, it would seem it can easily survive your winters, as just about the whole state had much colder weather, with sudden freezes and prolonged periods of freezing this year.
If you saw any kind of insect damage, or suspected an accidental spraying of herbicide, perhaps drifting from another location, that could explain it. However, most native plants can withstand a few local insects. Frankly, in sudden and unexplained plant deaths like this, we seldom know the truth about what happened. If you feel that the animal damage theory is correct, you could try spreading an aromatic shredded hardwood bark mulch over the area. It is too late in the season to plant a replacement, but if you spread the mulch and then replant in the Fall, the animals might have lost interest in your area and gone somewhere else.
From our Native Plant Image Gallery:
More Diseases and Disorders Questions
Bottlebrush buckeye not leafing out from Newburyport MA
June 11, 2013 - We have a bottlebrush buckeye bush that has grown and blossomed for 16 years. This spring the bush failed to produce any leaves and there are no buds in anticipation of leaves. There are a few smaller...
view the full question and answer
Leaf drop from maple tree in Minnesota
August 15, 2008 - I have about a 30 ft maple tree in my yard, last fall I trimmed it pretty good because the branches were getting low where you could not walk under it or get grass to grow. This is the 2nd time in abo...
view the full question and answer
Laurel oak tree not leafing out in Pasadena TX
April 13, 2010 - Hurricane Ike blew down our red bud in the backyard. Had a large 25' laurel oak planted early March 2010. When it was put in the ground, the leaves were on it, but they were all brown and dried. T...
view the full question and answer
Pruning oaks in August from Pflugerville TX
April 30, 2011 - Can I do minor pruning on my Lacey oak and bur oak in August if it is hot and dry? I'd like to prune one limb from each. The Lacey oak limb is about 2 inches in diameter, and the bur oak limb is ab...
view the full question and answer
Need help with a 50 ft Tulip Tree with storm damage in Brownsburg, IN.
June 30, 2010 - I have a 50 ft Tulip tree that suffered storm damage. One for the main branches split at the top fork and fell. It has left about 6 ft of exposed wood but there are still a couple of main branches in...
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
