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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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Questions From Near You

Bertram, TX
Sap dripping from redbud in Bertram, TX
Our multi-trunked Texas redbud has sap dripping down 3 of the trunks. It seems to originate from a very small crack in each trunk. The tree is just starting to show pink this week, and is about to blo...
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Bertram, TX
Identity of vine with green flowers
What is this trailing plant with half inch green flowers with gold metallic centers? Looks like a milkweed plant or gourd plant of some kind. I found it off Hamilton Pool road. West of Austin TX
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Bertram, TX
Help with Habiturf from Bertram TX
I am a resident of Bertram..about 45 min northwest of Austin. I have 1.33 acres of land with my home on it. My front pasture is pretty nice native grass but my backyard is full of weeds. I'm guessing...
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Bertram, TX
Landscaping in Bertram TX
I have a landscaping job in Bertram, Texas and am looking for all my options as far as full and partial shade somewhat hardy plants. I'm mainly looking for small plants and pretty flowers I can do wi...
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Bertram, TX
Leaf loss on Cenizo in Bertram TX
I need help with a purple sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) problem. Most of one of my plants started having paler, more greyish leaves, then the leaves began to fall off. It seemed to still look healthy...
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Bertram, TX
Non-blooming orange bell plant
My orange bell plant is not blooming. I live in Central Texas where it is hot. The plant has part sun, part shade. Is there any way to help it bloom?
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Bertram, TX
Failure of Bald Cypress to fully leaf out
My family just moved to a house in Burnet County, about 7 miles south of Bertram, close to the Balcones Canyonlands NWR, with very rocky limestone soil. We bought several trees last fall, including a ...
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Marble Falls , TX
Caterpillars attacking mountain laurel in Marble Falls TX
What are the caterpillars that eat up our mountain laurel? Nothing left but a few stems.
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Meadowlakes, TX
Identification of Daucus pusillus, native alternative to Daucus carota
What happened to "Queen Anne's Lace"? Growing up in Texas, I recall seeing "Queen Anne's Lace" growing wild. In my mind, the blooms were rather large. The plants I see growing profusely along th...
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Marble Falls, TX
Planting trees to use carbon dioxide
How many trees must we plant to use carbon dioxide produced by the average American in a year?
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Marble Falls, TX
Pruning of frost-damaged non-native Sago Palms in Marble Falls TX
I have several large Sago Palms that have partial frost damage, they are part green and part brown fronds. Should I remove the brown leaves? the center of the leaf is green.
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Marble Falls, TX
Waht are the truly native Texas trees
What two trees are truly native to Texas? I was told pecan and can't remember the other.
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Marble Falls, TX
Native plants for poolside in Central Texas
What native plants would your recommend for poolside landscaping, and poolside containers? Tons of sun and white limestone patio.. Thanks.
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Marble Falls, TX
What is Andropogon saccharoides?
I am reading Roy Bedichek "Adventure with a Texas Naturalist" I came across a reference to sage grass (Andropogan saccharoides)p. 23. I searched the data base and didn't any infromation abou...
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Marble Falls, TX
Flowers for Central Texas wedding in May
Hi there! I am getting married in Marble Falls, TX in May. My soon to be husband and I are very eco-conscious, and were wondering what type of flowers are local and in season for a Central Texas weddi...
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Marble Falls, TX
What to do about powdery mildew on Pavonia lasiopetala?
My Pavonia lasiopetala seems to have gotten mildew this spring. I was hoping that warm weather would get rid of it. Instead it has spread to most of the plants which are located in widely separated b...
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Marble Falls, TX
Planting time for late October bloom of Cowpen Daisy from Marble Falls, TX
How fast does Cowpen Daisy grow from seed to flower? Do we still have time to plant seed and get flowers by the end of October in order to attract late migrating Monarch Butterflies through the Austi...
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Marble Falls, TX
Bird-attracting trees in Marble Falls TX
What fruiting trees/shrubs other than red mulberry are good to attract native birds (and for bird watching opportunities)? We'd prefer native species, but does white mulberry attract as many bird sp...
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Marble Falls, TX
How to Propagate Mexican Bush Sage in Marble Falls, Texas
I need advice on when, how to separate Mexican bush sage. Ours is happy and HUGE but is now sprouting from the roots at the base. Since we've been so successful with this plant, we want to divide it...
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Marble Falls, TX
Seasonal tasks for Big Red Sage and Tall Aster in Marble Falls TX
I transplanted some Big Red Sage and Tall Aster into my raised bed garden in early summer this year. They've sent up lots of rosettes. Do I need to protect them from freezing in winter? Do I need to ...
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Marble Falls, TX
Should shredded Ashe juniper be composted for mulch?
Our neighbor shredded some Texas Hill Country cedar trees. Can we use it safely as mulch? Do we need to wait until it composts some?
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