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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 - April 08, 2014

From: Richmond, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Non-Natives, Diseases and Disorders, Shrubs
Title: Diseased non-native red tip photinias from Richmond VA
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Our red tip trees have a while substance on the bark at the base of each tree..look like some kind of fungus or mold, but we don't know how to get rid of it. Please help.

ANSWER:

Here is a previous answer on the subject of red tip photinias. This question was from San Antonio TX but when we searched on "photinia" on our previous answers, we found 57 answers, all similar to this, from all over the country. Sorry. You will find that when planning a garden, research to discover plants native to your area will give you a better chance of success. We realize that many gardeners move into landscapes already filled with questionable plants, but we have no Time Machine to offer.
 

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