Native Plants
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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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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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Saturday - October 20, 2012
From: Stockton, CA
Region: California
Topic: Non-Natives, Diseases and Disorders, Pests, Edible Plants, Trees
Title: Spots on non-native naval orange trees from Stockton CA
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have two mature Navel Orange trees. One tree has developed spotty chlorophyl depleted areas that were not on the oranges when they were smaller. In addition, the oranges on both trees are smaller , by half, than normal for this time of year. Tanglo and Lemon on both sides show no sign of this problem..It really looks like something is eating small areas of chlorophyl.ANSWER:
Citrus x sinensis means it's not from around here, not even in California. Orange trees probably originated in Southeast Asia and were cultivated in China by 2500 BC. We always want to know where a plant is native, because that helps us know in what soils, rainfall and climate it grows well. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, home of Mr. Smarty Plants, is dedicated to the growth, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to areas where those plants grow naturally.
Even though we will have no information in our Native Plant Database on oranges, we will try to find some websites that might give you some clues:
University of Florida Extension Citrus Black Spot Symptoms in Brazil.
San Francisco Chronicle Citrus Fruit with Black Spots
To get information on a plant that is not necessarily native but does grow locally, we suggest you contact the University of California Cooperative Extension Office in San Joaquin County.
More Non-Natives Questions
Edibility of native and non-native wild onions
July 07, 2006 - I'd like to know if the seeds of the wild onions found in southeastern Pennsylvania (possibly called Allium ascalonicum) are edible at all- these are the seeds that
grow on top of the stalk, after ...
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Planting distance for non-native crepe myrtles in Lawton OK
June 14, 2009 - We just bought Tonto Crepe Myrtle trees. I was just curious how far away from the house we should plant them.
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Do Salvia coccinea and Salvia occidentalis occur in Hawaii
April 27, 2008 - Aloha,
Would you please happen to know if the salvia occidentalis and the salvia coccinea are growing in a wild state in Hawaii, the quantity (small or large areas? What are the weather conditions ...
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Forget-me-nots choking a spring in Bethlehem PA
June 20, 2013 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants,
I am restoring a native plant area along a spring that feeds directly into our local creek.
Right now the spring is becoming choked with forget-me-nots, that I am trying ...
view the full question and answer
Eliminating non-native invasive bermuda grass in Morgan's Point TX
April 25, 2010 - We are trying to establish a wildflower meadow, but are having trouble with the neighbor's invasive bermudagrass taking over..what can be done to eliminate the bermuda?
view the full question and answer
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