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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
rate this answer
Monday - October 22, 2007
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native Gingko biloba in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Does a Ginkgo biloba tree grow easily in the Austin area? Does it take extra care to keep it alive?ANSWER:
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is focused on the care and propagation of plants native to North America. The Ginkgo biloba is about as non-native as you can get. In fact, it is considered a living fossil. It was actually thought to be extinct, but was found in China, where it is believed monks may have kept it going for hundreds of years. Click on the link for a site that has all the information you could ever want about this unique plant.More Non-Natives Questions
Return to original color of non-native crape myrtles in Henderson, TX
July 17, 2009 - Mr. Smarty Plants,
I bought 3 Dynamite Crape Myrtles that were about 3 -4 feet tall (at Lowe's). In the late Spring, I planted 2 of them about 100 feet apart, in full sun, and left the other one in...
view the full question and answer
Care of non-native house plant, probably Coleus
September 16, 2007 - What would cause the new leaves of a house plant to be solid green? When I bought it, the original leaves were almost like a "tie-dye" fabric (green,yellow,orange, and red).
view the full question and answer
Repotting non-native Agave ghiesbreghtii from Spring TX
June 03, 2012 - I've recently purchased an Agave ghiesbreghtii, and will need to re-pot it soon.
I have some cactus soil mix as well as a few rocks to put in the bottom of its new pot. There seem to be roots comi...
view the full question and answer
Identity of mystery plant in non-native commercial forage mix
December 17, 2013 - Dear Smart One,
I use a commercially prepared, fortified, chopped forage based on a mix of orchard and Timothy grasses. The bags are shipped in from out of State. However, I have been finding short s...
view the full question and answer
Possibility of replacing Bermudagrass with native grasses and wildflowers
November 24, 2008 - Are there any native grasses and wildflowers that can compete with bermuda grass to make a nativ-y wild area without removing the bermuda?
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |