Ask the Horticulturist

What's happening with my Aeonium? 
Hello Jackie. I have trouble in my succulent paradise again. I am getting this black speck of dust or soil like stuff on this aeonium. At first I thought …

Jade plant roots problem (?) 
Hello, I bought my Jade plant from eBay around 2 months ago. My jade plant was doing really well on my south- west window sill but recently leaves …

my poor bonsai:( Help! 
I've been growing a bonsai tree for about a year. It needed a bigger pot so I transferred it unaware that there weren't any drain holes in the new …

Jaundiced Agave 
Help! My Agave attenuata(?) is looking a little jaundiced/chlorotic. Leaves have a slight yellowish hue, veins are visible, and leaf tips are drying …

hibiscus pruning 
I have a hibiscus and all the growth is at the top. How do I prune it without killing it or pruning it too far back? The branches are long with only …

Watering Living Stones 
Hi there, I have a few of these marvelous little plants, Lithops, and they did fine during the winter with just a couple of drops of water a week. …

Worm Castings: Dry or Liquid 
Hello Jacki. I have read in your site the use of worm castings for most succulent questions sent to you. I am new to this organic fertilizer and would …

Hen and Chicks 
Do the rosettes that grow with the big Hen later grow to become a big hen? You betcha! This is the beauty of these great plants. Each hen or …

My poor heart-shaped succulent:( 
Hi! My poor little guy is dying I believe. It is an indoor heart-shaped succulent in Georgia, US. A week or two ago, I noticed a small white spot. …

Easter cactus cuttings 
Hello again! So, I chopped some pieces of this rescued plant off and have put them in some soil. I have not watered them yet (well, I watered half …

Any green use or healthy use for left over cuttings? 
I have a succulent, common name Gollum, that grows as fast as weed. I have made multiple plotted plants from it and I just don't have room for them anymore …

Sick unknown baby cactus or succulant 
Hi, I got this little plant from a store in Colorado for free because they received it from a local person and had no idea what it is. It is very small, …

Haworthia seeds  
Hello! Could you pls help me? I got seeds Haworthia Truncata ex Japan and Haworthia Maughani ex Japan. The seeds were VERY expensive to buy, and …

Promoting growth in a maple tree 
Hi, We planted a lipstick maple tree about 3 years ago and it has hardly grown at all. It's currently about 3.5-3m tall and has probably grown half …

Sempervivum Dormancy Period 
Hi Jackie, I was wondering if you can shed light in growing sempervivums. I have read that sempervivums go dormant in winter but can't find information …

Pruning a fallen pencil cypress 
About 18 months ago one of our pencil cypress trees started leaning and is now at an angle of 45 degrees ( I know, we should have dealt with it before). …

small pox like craters 
Hello jackie, i check my succulents each tuesday as it was cold and rainy last week i skipped that tuesday,But to my surprise,and astonishment when …

Lava Fines 
Can I grow Semps in just lava fines? I found a store that sales black lava fines and its consistency was very much like sandy soil. Hi Tony, I've …

Salvage or toss it 
Hi Jackie. Bought these aeonium canariense from ebay. Was promised a healthy plant but packaging was done poorly, leaves are scarred (they're saying that …

black prince 
i'm propagating black prince from leaf cutting,most of them have a few roots on them after 3 weeks on sand,i put the ones with roots in compost yesterday,when …

Plant identification 
Got this plant as a gift but I do not know its name. Can you identify it? I'm pretty sure this is a type of Rhipsalis . Without a close up of the …

My jade plant needs help desperately! 
There is some kind of black stuff on my jade's leaves that looks like tar. Also many leaves are yellowing, and some look brown and almost burnt...what's …

Rescued Cactus & Succulents (I hope) 
Hello Jackie. Our neighbor just sold their house and during the renovation for the new owners, the workers removed a huge cactus tree and trampled on a …

How to keep a jasmine plant 
I have a jasmine plant outside but it never flowers. How can i look after it so that it flowers? Hi Deniz, without knowing exactly which kind of jasmine …

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Perfectly round holes  
Something is making perfectly round holes in my Wisteria leaves, my crape myrtle leaves and my pansy petals. I've seen small brown moths around the areas …

My cactus 
My cactus is dieing and i don't know why, it might be because i give it too much water. The cactus is all squishy and bits are falling off, though i can't …

My wedding succulents 
Hello, My name is Abby. My wedding is December 1st in Michigan, and I was planning on making succulent arrangements. You mentioned in your post about …

Succulent Garden Soil Issues 
I need help with my Succulent Garden. My soil appears to have a lot of clay. I think I may need to add Gypsum... Hi Peter, generally, clay soil is …

Weird outside plant 
The plant is a green plant that is round shape. It has a long stem that goes from the ground to the round shape plant.From the round shape that is a size …

From a Maple sapling to a tree 
We lived in Sonoma County, Ca and had a 7 foot maple in a large outdoor pot. Near it was a small house pot. We only surmise that a maple seed fell into …

Help, my miniature lilacs are dying! 
I was away on vacation and came back to find one of my miniature lilac bushes totally dead - the other has brownish, copper colored spots on the backs …

Echevaria not doing to well... 
I have a couple of types of echevaria, and they are both looking kind of sad lately. One of them is what I have always been told is a "hen and chicks" …

Watering requirements are a bit unclear! 
Recently I lost my Split Rock from over-watering. (I only watered it twice in a month's time, but didn't know summer was a bad time to do that.) I have …

Overcooked or overwatered or what? 
Hi... I am a sad little gardener with an admitted non-green thumb. My mom and grandmother have always had hens and chicks potted in various containers …

Dioeciousness 
I have a couple of Operculicarya decaryi. They have not yet flowered. I am also getting sme Fockea edulis crispa. Is there any reliable way to visually …

Identify sedum. 
Hi Horticulturist, How are you? My name is Anh. I live in Hill District of Sydney, Australia. Yersterday, i gone to week-end farmers market and …

dying polka dot plant? 
I'm afraid I know the answer, but thought I'd ask anyway. I had a beautiful and extremely sentimental polka dot plant. The leaves got brown on the …

Mother In Law's Tongue 
Hello there! The office that my wife works in has a fairly large Mother In Law's Tongue plant. Some of the pieces were falling over a lot and today …

My first Sempervivum 
So, recently I was at the local farmer's market and since my friend had killed my newest container of propagating polka-dot plants, he bought me a new …

Growing and mantainance for Crassula 
I have a Crassula Buddhas Temple succulent which when I bought it was straight but as its grown it is leaning over and doesnt stand up without sticks for …

baby toe succulents; matter of life or death 
Hello, I bought baby toes for my succulent window box about a month ago and they died after about a week. I adored them so I promptly went and bought a …

tomato that winter over 
There was a discussion of tomatoes today on NPR. i wasn't able to ask a question so i am sending it to you. i potted a tomato from last summer and it …

dragonfruit growing problem 
Hi, I have a dragonfruit plant but sadly I only have one because the others died. This dragonfruit plant was grown from seed but it stopped growing …

Do I need to water this lithops anymore? 
I have had this lithops (I believe it's karasmontana) for a little over a month now. I have been scared to water it. Two weeks ago, I noticed that …

Aeonium Seeds 
can i get seeds from the blossom of the aeonium plant? Drought Smart Plants reply: Apparently, yes! It will depend on if there are enough other plants …

To prune or not to prune?  
Hello there. I inherited a small Haworthia attenuata (I only know that thanks to your wonderful site (: ) a few years ago. It spent a year or so forgotten …

My Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora is ill. Can you help me? 
Hi there! First I'd like to thank you VERY, VERY much for this website, it is great! Well, now to my problem. I have a Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora, Which …

red, white and blue trees 
I am working on a project for school and need help finding some tree types that would thrive in the Southeast which have red, white, and blue leaves or …

Red Leaf Plant in Puerto Rico 
I have attached a picture of the plant I am interested in. Can you tell me what it is, what zones it will grow in and where I can purchase it as bulb, …

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Hmong Culture Medicinal Usage? Need Name of Plant 
Hello, My coworker gave me these leaves which are to be placed in a pan with a little water to heat up, thereafter, to be applied to the pain area. …

Beheaded Echeveria  
I just (for the very first time) beheaded my Echeveria "Topsy Turvy". Without thinking, I also cut the remaining stem left in the pot away from the soil …

Wrinkling leaves 
I have a few jade leaves that are resting on soil but they are getting wrinkled. Is this normal? Should I splash a little water on them? I got them from …

Best Organic Fertilizer? 
I'm hoping to 'go organic' this year, and start using only natural and organic fertilizers. Do you have any suggestions for me? My garden is pretty …

seeds 
I hope you can help me or point me in the right direction I am working on a school project and I am looking for a seeds(flower) that are very durable …

Splitting up a Jade Plant 
Okay, this is what remains of the small Jade plant that my friend bought me. I took your advice and rinsed the plant, removed the majority of soil so …

Very tall and odd red things 
I've had this plant for years now, never known what it is. Recently it has seemed sad, one of the stalks has fallen over. The leaves regularly grow …

Orostachys pollination 
I'm wondering if you have experience with hand pollination. I've got Orostachys fimbriata and O. japonica that are about to bloom and I've had to move …

Real or Fake? 
I am curious to know ID? Are bubble plants real or not? If so, where can they be found? Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Jody, if I understand …

Pinching 
Will a plant that is not pinched branch? And if so, why? As in, if I was doing an experiment and the control plant didn't receive a chemical pinching …

School Succulent Project 
Wow! what a great, informative site! I'm a teacher and we've successfully propagated some succulents. How do we (prune?)train them to create the hearty, …

Pothos is angry 
Hello again! I have this pothos plant that I have had for a few years now. When I first got it it's legs were super long (4+ feet) but the legs were …

Overwintering Succulents 
I was given a lovely container of succulents (winter hardy) as a gift. What is the best way to winter this? We have very severe winters in upstate NY and …

The edges of the leaves are turning brown 
It has a thin base from which all of the leaves originate. The leaves are long and green with white stripes running throughout. The edges and tips of …

Mixing spider plants 
I am making some little starter pots for a friend of mine and I was going to give her some spider plants. I currently own three different kinds. I …

Jade babies from leaves 
I have had a jade plant for a while and it is doing very well and I have succeeded in propagated it from stem cuttings multiple times, but I was curious …

Caterpillars Eating My Spider Plants 
I was horrified one morning to find one of my precious beloved spider plants had been devoured to nearly nothing! I could see that each leaf had been …

Bella Donna and my tomato plants.... 
I purchased my tomatoes plants from a nursery this year. When I went to plant them I noticed one of the plants in the package of four ...was different. …

aphids on overcrowded sempervivum! 
Hello! I'm a novice and just started raising succulents. I've recently acquired a pot of Sempervivum that are quite overcrowded. It's just the beginning …

Beheaded Echeveria 
I just beheaded my Echeveria and I am worried I cut its stem too short. I have it sitting in a shady area, upright with the stem in a glass. I …

Hypertufa tiles 
Hi, I could you please tell me if it possible to use the mix of the hypertufa to make paving stones in the shape of a tile 30cm x 30 cm like ones in street …

Green Roof Options 
Do you think a green roof with either Sempervivum or Sedum would succeed in a shady area under trees, and if not are there any other plants you might suggest? …

blueberries 
My cousin dug up some blueberry plants out of his yard for me. He didn't give me all or even half the root - will they grow?

banana trees 
Would planting banana trees near south windows provide shade from the sun to help reduce my cooling bill? Also, how to prevent them from multiplying into …

Hypertufa Mix 
Hi, could you please tell me where can I get the mix to make hypertufa in London UK?

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unknown pests 
I have a clay planter with two pest problems in the planter; I have an Aeonium species known as 'Irish Bouquet', a Crassula argentea or finger jade, an …

Old Curving Aloe Plant 
My aloe plant is about 24yrs old & it's curved & very heavy on one side. It always produces "babies" that I remove when they get a yr or two old. Is there …

Weeds invading sedum green roof 
Can anyone help? We have a 5 acre green roof covered in five varieties of sedum. Last spring we added 24,000 additional sedum to fill in sparse areas. …

The Strange Tale of the dying Echeveria 
Peter, from Vancouver tells this strange story via email: Why did my succulent plant Echeveria Runyonii 'Topsy Turvy' die within 2 days? Wondering …

Christmas Cactus turning pink. 
My Christmas Cactus i noticed that the leaves are turning pinkish. The plant itself seems very healthy otherwise. Is this a problem or is the plant lacking …

sad rose bushes and phlox 
I recently sprayed weed and feed on the ground around my rose bushes and volcanic phlox. Some of the spray got on my rose bushes as well as phlox plant. …

about my pub cactus and do i need to help it  
why does my pug cactus have orange looking spots on it? Hi Ishy, I don't know what you mean about orange looking spots; are you referring to the pale …

zinnia leaves in distress 
We planted zinnias (from pots) into our garden about three weeks ago, early May. We had two cold nights, but we covered all the zinnias well to prevent …

Sad kalanchoe 
Hi! Okay, so I have a pretty sad kalanchoe thyrsiflora plant and I'm not sure why. It's getting lots of light and I rarely water it. It's in a cactus …

Growing BIG and falling!! Help! 
I have managed to keep this plant alive and thriving but as you can see one plant (unidentifiable by me) is falling over. I'm afraid I'm about to lose …

Snail Attack! 
Will my annuals survive after snail attack? Hi Anna, it totally depends what kinds of plants, and how much damage they've done. If you don't deal …

Christmas cactus 
We moved from mi to co n my cactus is slowly dying I only water once a week. But I need help it was my mom s before she passed I need more information! …

Aloe ,done? 
Hello Jacki whatshall i do with this aloe now, i had it for a couple of years, with the same regime of water and fertilisers, is it done??? thanx …

Kalanchoe plant is leaning forward 
My Kalanchoe plant i have in a pot on my terrace was growing straight when i got it. It is now start to turn forward a lot growing that way. Is …

Lilac/Snowball Tree Illness 
My mother lives on a small island in rural Newfoundland, on the coast, where we've been growing a lilac and snowball tree for many years, probably close …

Maybe I'm Wrong but... 
I think you have your echeveria and your sempervivum mixed up. I bought a plant that looks exactly like the sempervivum images on your site but it …

The limbs on my Italian Cypress going limp 
I live in Phoenix Arizona and my Cypresses are approximately 13 years old and grow in clay soil. When it starts to get hot here around 90 degrees I notice …

Mealy bugs 
Help Jacki I have mealy bugs on my 6 weeks old Zinnia seedlings What shall I do ? Amjad Hi Amjad, mealy bugs are so pernicious, and spread so …

Echeveria questions 
Okay, my question may get a bit lengthy but here it goes... I just went to Home Depot and got several succulents... One is an echeveria asstd. (echeveria …

Trunk of my wisteria tree is wrinkled 
I have been fussing with a wisteria tree for a time now. I have been trying to bonsai it. I got it as a sapling and it was a bare tree with new buds. …

does this grow in zone 11 
Hello Jacki, what is this plant how do i take care of it why leaves do get shredded fast does it even tolerate zone 11,it looks tropical to me??? …

Do you know rose bush issues? 
I have about a dozen rose bushes. It is spring here and the whether is beautiful so of course the roses are taking full advantage and growing lustily. …

fresh flowers 
Can I store strawberries in the refrigerator with fresh flowers (corsage) Hi Asia, I have never come across any information regarding any adverse affects …

fruit trees 
Hi, I live in Northwest ohio. I have 3 pear trees and 3 apple trees to plant they are about 6 feet tall. I purchased them through are local water and soil …

Arabian Jasmine 'Grand Duke of Tuscany' 
Hello - I've had a potted arabian Jasmine 'Grand Duke of Tuscany' for about 15 years. I live in Michigan, so about October, I take the plant inside …

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Coral Cactus 
I live in NJ. I have had my coral cactus for about 4 years. Since I bought it, it has not been pink at the ends. What am I doing wrong? I water …

Dying Echeveria FunFare 
Hi. I bought two pots of Echeveria Funfare from one of the box stores. The other pot I transferred to another container with other succulents to make …

white patches 
Hello Jacki, I had this cactus(unidentified)for a couple of years, on an east facing window(indoor) a few days ago i started to notice these white patches, …

my (maybe?) poor succulent  
I have an echeveria, and when I bought it, it was normal. I sometimes go a week and a half to 2 weeks without thorough watering, but I'll mist it and …

Ivy geranium  
Hi Jacki Is it ok to prune and propagate ivy geranium while they are blooming ,I have this lovely one that is blooming right now with lovely colors but …

patio plants 
we have a deck behind our cottage, it gets afternoon sun, I was planting carnations and marigolds and some ferns.. when we leave on the weekend we water …

plant food stakes 
Hi Jacki, Are plant food stakes good for succulents? that is during the growing season ? Thanx Amjad I wouldn't use plant stakes for any kind of …

White rose 
Hello jacki, Any clue why some parts of this lovely white rose tree are getting pale the texture is healthy ,but the color is pale yellow thanx Amjad …

lithops now or later 
Hello jacki, well, it's spring time,so we will be banging questions all day,sorry!!! I have this lithops I brought from germany. It is in this stage, …

Arial roots 
hello jacki, are arial roots signs of thirst??? thanx amjad Hi Amjad, they could be one sign of the plant needing more water - or, the roots could …

Why cant plants grow to full potential when they are bent over? 
I have a science assignment about plants (im in year 8) and I for part of my discussion I have to explain why its important to have a plant with structure …

Hen is protecting her chicks 
My wife recently got hooked on growing succulents, she harvested some of the chicks from around the hen. The next day, the hen dropped the bottom leaves …

3 year old red creeping sedum 
I live in southern mid PA,The plants are on the west (front) of my house, so they get a lot of sun. 3 years ago I bought some red creeping sedum.They …

Flap Jacks do well in planter? 
I live in south Florida and wanted to plant Flap Jacks in a large planter on a patio that gets a lot of sun in the summer and gets pretty hot. Will …

Tiger Jaws and Anacampseros Refescens 
I live I north Alabama. I just bought a tiger jaws and a anacampseros rufescens. They are in a very small pot, it says 4oz succulent on the pot. …

Pest Prevention 
Hi. Would you have any organic pesticide prevention method especially for mealy bugs and snails? I have a lot of succulents in my greenhouse and some are …

Beheading 
Hello Jacki is it about time to behead this old Kalanchoe orgyalis; is it even doable? Process advice please, thanx amjad That poor thing! Yes, …

Grow light for succulents? 
Hi there, I've been a long time enthusiast for succulent plants. I live in New York City and during the Winter I don't get the kind of light they …

jane doe 
Hello jacki, its spring already here,is it there yet? jacki,what are these 2 succulents,is it time to propagate them by splitting? thanks Amjad …

Obsessive-Compulsive Question of the week . . .  
Hi! I live in Oregon and have an indoor collection of succulents. Can I dust my topsy turvy without hurting it? I tried dusting one leaf with a very …

my fruit trees 
My boyfriend trimmed our white nectarine, cherry, and plum tee the way this book told us to and then this year only half of the tree is producing blooms …

My Coral Cactus is dying  
Part of it has what looks to be mold on it while other parts are a dark blue or black. The whole thing has shrunk and is drooping. Also, the base …

upper leaves of my purple passion sempervivum wrinkled 
Hi...thank you for this forum, i need help; what happened with my sempervivum? I only sprayed the soil, there are 3 semps in one pot, only one of those …

Is it too humid for my Echeveria? 
I bought an Echeveria from the supermart 3 weeks ago. It had plump waxy leaves, like a multi-tiered rose and planted in a plastic pot. I had it transfered …

Questions About Moss 
Hi, so I'm an architecture student working on a design for a green wall for a house in Tokyo, Japan (zone 8b, I believe). The green wall is going to …

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70 year old maple 
I have noticed that my maple tree is black like four feet up the trunk. The bark is hard looks like its been burnt. And had black oily stuff coming out …

Do I need to behead my Echeveria? 
Hi there, I rescued some echeveria from a wedding and they're not doing too well. When I got them (there are three) they were sitting in milk jars …

Echeveria plant leaves look soft and limp 
Hi!, I live in tropical Singapore where it is hot and humid. I bought a Echeveria, not sure its name, looks like a rose. It is planted in a plastic …

Wrinkly leaves on my echeveria? 
I have a tiny echeveria in a pot in my office and I've noticed some wrinkles on the leaves (the bottoms of some leaves look like a pug's face) as well …

rooted cutting 
Hello Jackie, i am receiving rooted cuttings from germany next week something like: buddah temple rauhia peruviana monadenun magnificum frithia …

propogating succulent leaves 
OK so I have been trying to propagate succulent leaves such as echeveria, jade, hens and chicks and a few others. I live in cincinnati, ohio. It is …

succulent, top got broken off 
It was about 8 inches tall, I recently dropped it and broke most of it off (hoping it survives); it has really thick leaves, some parts were up to 1/2 …

diseased pancheveria 
Hello Jackie my pancheveria has been showing signs of sickness ever since I bought from a local nursery 8 months ago. Tips of leaves crumble as soon …

Two sad succulents 
I bought 3 little succulents a year or so ago and two of them are having issues... One of them is getting really long and lanky, and the bottom leaves …

Big strong jade again 
This is my Jade plant that I've previously asked for advice about. I chopped off a lot of leaves, re-planted them (which are all growing in their own little …

Seedlings 
Hello Jacki, I am starting to grow summer flowers from seeds something like Petunias amongst others. I have a sunny room, can i put the seeds tray …

What happened?! 
Got this variegated echeveria from one of the box stores. I made sure I got the perfect shaped rosette before buying. This was 4 days ago and today, …

Weird growth 
When I bought this sempervivum tectorum, I immediately planned to transfer some of the pups to another pot. I noticed there was one stolon hidden in …

So lost with my succulent collection! 
Hello! I have collection containing a 4 year old healthy jade, 20 or so various baby jades about 6 inches in three colors, and a handful of other …

West Coast Gems dying 
Since the 2011 floods in Echuca, our 92 row of West coast gems have started dying or have become spindly and small leaved with no flowers, some leaves …

New Plants! 
I have recently bought two new succulents and have no idea about them. I was told that they could withstand days without water, but that just sounded …

Scale on Christmas Cactus 
Hello. I have scale on my christmas cactus. I have already treated it once with Bayer Advanced Rose & Flower Care Systemic treatment, plus sprayed …

Palm Trees 
I was given a couple of well established palm tree in November; I re-planted them and they fell over and it snowed before we could put them back. I …

Soil Sickness? or something more dire? 
I've been growing succulents for a while now, and had a lot of success - I'm in Alberta, so I have to bring them in for the winter (thank you so much for …

My rescued easter cactus? 
A person that I know was going to get rid of this plant, but I figured it is worth saving. I was thinking about breaking some 2-3 segment pieces off and …

Red bark, berries turning blue, what is it? 
Came across this very striking shrub or small tree (this one in the 8-12 foot range) near the Sky Lake swamp, North of Yazoo City, Mississippi. Not IN …

Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora goes limp 
I've grown many many of these and they stayed healthy and vigorous without much effort. This is the first time I've ever seen the leaves go soft and limp.I …

tomatoes and jade plants together? 
I recently transplanted my jade, in some garden soil, and have discovered a tomatoe plant also growing in the same pot. Will the tomatoes be safe to eat, …

twin echeveria and aloe issue 
Dear Jacki, Is it common to have a twin baby echeveria from single leaf cutting; could these be separated when they grow up? And leaves of my out door …

succulant terrarium dying?  
so sad my plants are dying. they are a variety of succulents which was told they are impossible to kill but i have already killed my housewarming gift …

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Cactus pear plant  
Hi there, I need your help; I have received a cactus pear plant from a neighbour; the plant is from Italy. It's been about 6 months since I got …

Hanging over the edge of the pot 
My maternity plant is hanging over the edge of the pot like a hanging plant. Is that normal? Or is there a way that you can make them grow up and not just …

I Repotted the Plant and Now the Leaves Are Wilted 
Hi. Could you pls help me? I repotted my crassula and now the leaves are wilted. I planted my Crassula Horn Tree 1 years ago in peat moss based soil …

Twin echeveria 
Hello Jackie, Is it possible to get twin baby echeveria from rooted cutting,do they grow as this, can we separate them later? regards Amjad Hi …

Hibiscus help 
I Repotted my hibiscus and shook the roots off...the heAvy soil around them. Will they survive? Without seeing pictures of the size of your Hibiscus, …

portulacaria afra variegata - black leaves 
hi. could you tell me why those brown margins on my Portulacaria afra variegata appears? when i recived this plant 4 months ago i noticed two whithe insect …

My hanging wall art with succulents keep rotting... 
I recently created a frame in which to house succulents, that can then be hung on the wall. The frame is a box frame with chicken wire over which the succulents …

Sedum's woody stems and falling leaves 
My sedum stems have turned woody and the leaves are dropping off when I touch them. What happened? And how can I save it? The leaves all look good with …

Haworthia Attenuata 
I just purchased a Haworthia Attenuata and it seems to have a spicy smell, almost like jalapeno peppers. I was wondering if this is normal? Hi Julia, …

Agave with white mould? 
My once healthy agaves now have leaves with what appears to be white mould and it is spreading. Any ideas on control/prevention. Thanks You know that …

my bush christmas tree has brown dry leaves 
why is my bush christmas tree producing brown dry leaves?? Hi Nancy, to answer your question, I would need to know what exactly is this bush Christmas …

Is this a sedum,wild guess 
Hello again Jackie, i had this for x-mass from a friend couldnt find what this is,any clue thanx a million, Amjad Hi Amjad, no this is not a Sedum. …

Bird of Paradise may have left paradise. 
I recently moved to Philadelphia from Florida, and brought my 3-4 yr old bird of paradise. I keep it in the sun room during winter time. I noticed instead …

There is a problem with my Kiwi Aeonium 
I have had my beautiful Kiwi aeonium for about six years now and it's been healthy and thriving. i just moved to my new apartment and there was such a …

Soil Problem??? 
Q-- I know that when the soil is too acidic or basic plants donot grow well. So a farmer generally neutrallises it using suitable acids or bases . But …

what to do with flowering paul bunyon? 
My echeveria paul bunyon has grown fantastically and now has two flower stems that have shot up to about a foot above the base, i have not been able to …

outdoor succulents  
I would like to plan outdoor living walls for my west and east side house walls. I would like to use succulents as I love their colors and textures. …

barrelhead cacti 
how many days can it go without water? Hi Jim, cacti generally can withstand a considerable time without water - in some cases, years. They have to …

echeveria stem cutting 
hi there,i recently got a stem cutting of echeveria plant. it was wrapped in a plastic cover and no soil. some leaves had dried completely but the plant …

Black fat short"Ants" 
Hello Jackie, more questions to you,you have been extremely helpful, i have on my chrysanthemums ,and on my dracenea compacta, on the foliage,very tiny,fat …

Is my Poinsettia Dying? 
I got a poinsettia for Christmas, and it looks like it is dying. However, everyone I've asked about it has told me it's just going through a drying period, …

Crassula ovata cuttings 
Hi! Could you pls help me? Friend give me rooted cuttings of crassula ovata. Cutting is 25cm tall and thin, I am worried that it will fall over. Can I …

Grafting results 
If I have an apple tree and I graft an orange tree limb to it, what kind of fruit will the orange limb produce? A. oranges B. Apples C.half orange/half …

Drowned Spider plant 
I accidently left my beautiful spider plants outside overnight in the cold and it rained...:{ they are drooped an limp. How do I revive them back to good …

variegated jade problem 
hi. could you help me with variegated jade? plant arrived to my home about 2 weeks ago, i am worried about this black margins and spots. maybe is sun burn? …

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tulips and ranuculus 
Hello Jackie, a couple of ranunculi i planted late in october(zone 11) are starting to grow leaves,i keep them outside lots of light with no direct …

Brown pod-like growths on jade 
I noticed brown little seed/pod-like growths on some of the stems of my Jade. They seem to be fairly brittle and burst when i poke them. I can't really …

Misting and cleaning 
Hello again Jackie, i am moving my succulents inside for the winter, but they look like they have been through mud since it had rained with dusty winds …

Intense Mildew Smell in soil  
Thank you so much for responding to my question. My wife and I have a flower bed just outside our bedroom door that during any watering the soil reeks …

Mail Order Crassula 
hi . 2 weeks ago It comes by post to my home small crassula argentea variegata , plant was posted without pot. plant arrived in one day in good condition. …

Tiniest ants make big problem. 
This is an ant and tomato bush in a pot question. I recently had to dig out a shrub because it was sick. I noticed the soil in that part of the garden …

little fast moving look like knats white in outside potted plants 
Im about to have a heart attack.I just went outside to check on my plumaria with the seed pod on it and I saw fast moving knat looking bugs that seem to …

leaf cuts on my echeveria 
Hi Jackie, Need your help again. My echeveria gets these leaf cuts starting from the 2nd or 3rd layer. I thought I was over watering it and specifically …

Plant bleeding? AHHHHHHHH 
I have a Pothos plant and the desk and the wall by it keep getting these little red tiny droplets that can wipe away like dried blood. It happens over …

Hoya and things 
Hello again Jackie, Your replies are pushing me fast forward, I like your simplicity in explaining things. Here are some more inquiries for you, if you …

Repotting a succulent plug in a teacup 
Hi!! I have learned so much from your site! Thank you! My question is - I purchase little succulent plugs (1-2 inches across) and put them in teacups …

New Addict 
Hello again Jacki, you just have to bear with my flux of questions since i'm a new "addict" to succulents , they are really addictive....... thank …

3 Majors 
Hi Jacki,great effort, i have these three most important questions,regarding attached photos: 1 is this a coleus 2 what is this ,is it a succulent ,how …

health of an indoor colorado blue spruce 
I have purchased a potted blue spruce and need to keep it alive over the winter till spring when ground thaws. need help. thinking i've overwatered as …

I am worried about my maple 
My baby maple trees' leaves are brown and not falling off. What do you think is wrong with them? Without seeing a picture of your plant, and knowing …

Oh my poor ivy 
I recently purchased this plant from a Lowes I think. I was excited because I haven't had an ivy plant before... but now it's unhappy and so am I. …

Swiss cheese is getting moldy 
A while ago you helped me identify my Split Leaf Philodendron. But it's not looking too good. I've had it in a window that gets some decent sun in …

Succulent Fever 
I've grown to love succulents. Can you tell me which succlents can be grown in Newfoundland, Canada? Many thanks, David Hi David - welcome to …

Tropical bare-root Hibiscus 
Do bare-roots of tropical Hibiscus remain viable in a cold stasis? If so, at what temperature and for how long can they be kept? I know of using bare-root …

plant watering 
Hi, I am just starting to look after plants and want to do the right thing so can you please tell me if it is ok to water plants in the afternoon. …

eucalyptus sadness 
Why does my eucalyptus drop it's leaves as soon as I bring it in for the winter? Without knowing a bit more about your growing conditions and how …

Aloe vera plant 
I have had this plant for about a year. It is now starting to flop. The branches are losing the support of the plant and are starting to flop over …

Echeveria Princess Blue - does it produce offsprings? 
I tried to research on this echeveria but can hardly find anything especially on propagating. Do they produce offsprings? My 8 inch E. Princess blue rosette …

tomato plant 
why has my tomatoes not turned red in my topsy turvy pot Hi Margie, do you know what kind of tomato variety the pots are planted with? In some cases, …

Bradford Pear thorns 
I have a couple Bradford Pear trees that were 10 years old when damaged by a wind storm four years ago. They were cut off a couple inches above the ground …

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broken orchid 
can you splice a orchid branch and have the branch stay alive or do i have to save dormant bulb to replant? Hi Lilly, I'm assuming that this would …

recyling soil and potting mix 
Hi, I don't want to waste my soil and potting mix can I put it in my compost bin instead of grass clippings and such, still using food scraps and such? …

Rose Question 
How do you grow flowers of different colors on a single plant of rose Hi Nishtha, there are some varieties of roses that do have different colors on …

Succelent Dislikes its Pot...Or something 
I have a succulent that looks a lot like Hen and Chicks, but it has never produced the little offshoot "chicks." Instead, It has grown in a most bizarre …

Science project peril 
My 6th grader is doing a science fair project about which fertilizer is best for plant growth. We bought 2" mums to use, half were red and half were white. …

How do I choose the right succulents for a small pot? 
I've thoroughly enjoyed looking through your site and was hoping you could advise me as to which succulent species stay small and manageable. I'm asking …

Dwarf bean leaves thin and limp 
I'm currently growing dwarf beans in a pot. The plant leaves are growing a lighter coloured green than they should be, and are thin and limp. They are …

bringing in succlents for the winter 
I do this and they get stringy, reaching for the light. You should sign up for my Winterizing Succulents E-Course - it's free! If you're in a hurry, …

Pruning 9 month old Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 
I have a row of 10 Kalanchoe thrysiflora that have stalks about 2 1/2 feet high, some have outgrowths at the bottom. Can the stalks be cut now? How much …

Bird of Paradise plant 
We live in Massachusetts. I had a BOP plant growing outside. Can I dig up the rootball and save the rhizomes over the winter to plant them in the Spring? …

Pizzazz plant puzzler 
I purchased this plant at a drugstore last spring and have it in the window of my home decor shop. Customers ask what it is -- and I would like to know, …

Long stringy pathos 
I have some pathos plants that are starting to look limp and stringy and the leaves are starting to curl. I read that I should prune these plants regularly …

What to do with the chicks? 
Hello Jackie. I have this Aeonium (I believe it's called Aeonium Tahoe) and have been trying to research on care for this type but to no avail. The …

Colourful bush 
Ii would like to identify a shrub I have seen in osoyoos. It has a spectacular display of fall colors ranging from a deep green to yellow gold as well …

out aloe vera tree in a pot 
i have a large out door aloe tree that seems to have white fuzzy deposits on the branches and to the touch it is sticky what is it? should i do something? …

yellowing of bamboo 
have had a good luck bamboo plant for 10 years or more, its leaves are turning yellow????? haven't done anything different to its care. Thank you …

my fiancé broke my coral cactus 
I have had a very cute coral cactus for a while now. I bought it and it was doing great! Until my fiancé dropped it while we were moving. It broke almost …

Leaves on hen and chicks folding under 
I have several hen & chicks that I have had to bring indoors because of our cold winters. Since they have been indoors the leaves seem to be curling under …

Horticulture Question 
After planting lotus rhizomes how many days after it gets flowers Hi Neha, I'm not very familiar with lotus, which are known botanically as Nelumbo, …

Pink fuzzy stems 
I have a plant that has pink fuzzy stems that have random flowers that stay for only a day or two. The flowers that bloom are always different colors. …

will chicken and hen succulents grow under a blue spruce 
Will chicken and hen succulents grow under a blue spruce? Good question! In my experience there are two things that hens and chicks (Sempervivum) …

Neighbors' unusual plant 
Can you help my neighbor and I to identify a plant/ bush she has. It has large green leaves about 7 - 8 inches on pink/ dark pinky- red stems with clusters …

bird of paradise 
5 year old plant that all of a sudden leaves are turning brown on ends and half of the leaves are turning yellow, help Without more information, and …

Too much dirt! 
We recently had to dig up the side of our house for repairs and I'm left with a pile of dirt in my backyard, about a foot high. I don't have a very big …

Christmas Cactus 
I have a very old Christmas cactus (50 years old). It is in a very small pot. It has lots of blooms several times a year. My question is: I have noticed …

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Black Shadow of Death on My Black Bamboo?  
I'm quite anxious about this bamboo plant. I have two and they are both receiving roughly the same care, but this plant has limp leaves and two dead (nearly …

Alberta Spruce Trees 
Are Alberta Spruce Trees incompatible with other species of trees? What problems are associated with growing this particular tree in Colorado. Thank you. …

My Stapelia seems to be dying 
It has flowered 3 times this year! It's not a store bought plant. I started it from one piece of plant that a co-worker gave me and it's been doing so …

Am I doing something wrong? 
About 1 1/2 years ago I had cataracts done. The clinic gave me a plant each time I had an eye done. The plants were flowered and in a small plastic …

Golf course fruit 
My parents live on a golf course where a pear tree thrives. I'm curious, is it safe to eat the fruit? They already have been and I just had a piece that …

help with propagation of my crassula 
I have a nice crassula buddha's temple. However the main branch has "broken off" cause it became too top heavy. I want to root this stem and create a …

Indoor Cactus/Succulent Garden 
How many cactus & succulents could I safely plant in a container that measures 15"? The container is round. Oh, boy, here's a loaded question! Without …

I can almost touch it 
Spring is almost here! I can almost touch it! Newly planted in this winter. My Dwarf peach all flowering, she's happy. Hi Farouk, glad to hear …

Indoor white bird of paradise 
I have an indoor white bird of paradise, but it has these little brown spots that come off if you wipe the leaves or with your fingernail; it's also secreting …

red thyme? 
my english thyme is turning red...can I still eat it? Without seeing a picture of it, I can't tell for sure, but quite often, in the fall, even plants …

Italian Cypress Bending 
We planted 5 Italian Cypress tree about 2 months ago. We took the stakes that were along side the trunk out, because they were visibly impeding on the …

Peperomia dolabriformis help? 
I have been looking all over (and even asked in a forum) how to propogate Peperomia dolabriformis. At this point I have nothing. I am not even 100% sure …

Lenas Question about Christmas Cactus 
Please tell Me why my stems, leaves are flopy looks as it is about to die. I have done all I know please help me. Its so pretty at christmas. thank you …

Maple tree growin thru my deck 
There is a sort of lichen ( I guess) growing on our maple tree in the center of our deck. It's over 40 years old. And it may not be getting enough water …

Silver maple 
There is a silver maple in the backyard of the house where I am living and someone told me that I need to get that out of there as the roots will buckle …

Aloe Pups 
I have had my aloe plant for a couple years now and it wont grow pups. I am looking to get another one going but nothing else seems to pop up. Right now …

My Christmas cactus is turning yellow & dropping leaves.  
It was doing great in the tinted window sill since Christmas. A table spoon of water in the morning & it was flourishing all these months with new pink …

Sedum eating bug. 
Lightning bug shape and size. Black on top and orange on sides. Eating Sedum plants. Larvae are small and grayish in color. Sorry, no picture. Hope you …

Senecios that look like brains or underwater corals 
What are the senecios that look like something from the sea. They are succulents and are strangely beautiful. I don't know of any Senecio that are …

Small but SPECIAL 
Hi. I'm 10 & just got a succulent from English Gardens in Michigan. It's very small, has very pointy leaves that are mostly green at the bases and …

small succulent  
I was wondering if you could identify this little plant. My friend received it as a gift and wanted to know how to care for it. Hi Andrew, based …

The aura around you and plants 
I am growing squash, small pumpkins, in my garden. I have them going up a net. One vine was going off the net and I tried to bring it back. In doing this …

What to do with the tall one (rooster?) that grows out of my hens and chicks? 
I have had hens and chicks for many years they are beautiful and very easy to grow. My question is the tall ones (8 to 10 inches) tall that grows out …

Succulent Invaders 
Something is making holes in the stem/trunk of my succulent, and is now making holes in an offshoot. When I stick my fingers in the dark hole, it feels …

plant identification question 
I have a plant that looks very much like an aloe but has smooth edges on its dark green hard leaves - grew in a menorah shape for several years but now …

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Mystery plant 
I have been trying to identify a plant my girlfriend received and have been unable to with my internet searches. I can provide pictures as my description …

My coral Aloe is dying! 
why did my newly planted coral aloe go limp and shrivel? Hi Ruthann, nothing is more disheartening than buying and planting a new plant only to have …

chicks and hens 
after having my chicks and hens for many years they seem to be dying this year. it has been very dry here, could that be the problem? Without knowing …

sempervivum vegettive propogation 
can sempervivum rosettes be rooted as we do with rebutias if they are not on a stolon? Hi Charles, I've done a few experiments with my ever growing …

Lavender Hybrids known as Lavandins or Lavandula x intermedias 
Can you tell me if this plant is considered drought tolerant. Also in the Okanagan what nursery you could purchase these plants from? Thanks I've …

Changing white bird of paradise trunk 
Why has my white bird of paradise started to turn slightly to the right, and the trunk appears rounder (and more compact) than before. Is this normal …

Limp agave leaves. 
My agave has black tar like substance in the center of the plant and one of the leaves has suddenly become limp. This symptom worries me - this is …

drought damage 
I planted a Blaauws Pink Azalea last May, watered it everyday until I went away for a week and then forgot all about it. I do have a sprinkler system …

Holy big leaves 
Here is another cutting I got tonight from a friend, no clue what it is. The plant that he had was very tall, and had latched to the wall to grow about …

Colorful pothos-like 
I was having dinner with some friends tonight and saw some plants that I loved at this house. I was given a few cuttings, without names. Currently, …

my stem on my plant is bent over 
My tomato plant has not long germinated and I took it out while we had some sun and it looks like it's snapped in the middle and bent over to one side. …

Haworthia Fasciata growing mushrooms, turning yellow, falling over, and falling apart 
I bought this beautiful little plant in Arizona, around the middle of May, and brought him home to California. I was unable to plant it until June. …

Grape tomato shortage 
I have two potted grape tomato plants which appear healthy and are about 3 feet tall. Each plant, however, has yielded only three grapes. Am I doing something …

loofahs turning  
I'm growing loofahs and the leaves are turning rusty with squiggly tubes what is it and what is the corrective solution Boy this is a tough one - …

flowering cactus 
What can i do to make my cactus bloom? I have had it for about 9 years. it had 1 cactus in a very small pot when it was given to me. It now has 19 cactus …

Squishy Cactus 
Hi, I just stumbled into the world of succulents/cacti. I'm still very new and learning by trial and error. Funny, I was told I couldn't kill these …

Ugly dead Aeonium bloom 
How do I cut back this ugly dead aeonium bloom without having an ugly stump? Thank you Susan Hi Susan, without a picture, it's difficult to give …

Night time bug is bugging me. 
Something is eating my indoor thyme plant at night and leaving little tiny pillets on the counter. What kind of insect does that indoors? No sign of …

ailing maple trees  
I have 2 manitoba maples which are are approx. 40 years old. this year they bloomed but don't seem to be producing much leaves and the ones that are coming …

Insect Repelling properties? 
Just doing some research. If a plant is said to have insect repelling properties, how would you go about testing this? And what would be the environmental …

Kalmia latifolia, Calico Bush 
Any idea what this flower is called?? Drought Smart Plants reply: off the top of my head, I have only one potential suspect. Depending on the …

Propagating Jackfruit 
Hi Jacki! I am back for another question.. I wanted to plant a Jackfruit from seed, do you know how long it will take for it to fruit for the first …

house plants and trees 
Can you please tell me what kind of plant this is and how I can take better care of it? Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Shannon, this poor thing looks …

Powdery Soft Cactus Flapjack  
Hi, I have a cactus flapjack that I purchased last summer. I'm concerned about the bottom leaves, they have become soft and limp. The plant also has …

I've declared war on deer, and I don't mean my husband!! 
The four legged animals known as deer ate the top off my green pepper plant! Only has three leaves left. Will it survive and produce peppers? Or should …

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Dog dug up tree and broke it in half  
Can a Chinese maple tree be saved. My dog dug up the tree this morning and also broke it in half. Can you make this tree root or survive. Drought …

Name that plant! 
I'm looking for the name of a white plant used in hanging baskets whose small flowers seem to hover over the other plants. Drought Smart Plants reply: …

hen and chicks 
My hen and chick leafs are turning red;at least I thing it red, and some of the red one look like there rioting. What is wrong with it? Drought Smart …

Root Mats on Garden Tile Sedum 
I bought two Garden Tiles of sedum for the first time. As I was ctting them into squares for placment, the plastic netting came off the bottom of …

The blisters are gone! 
I adopted my Paul Bunyan echiveria last summer. It had big fat blisters which I loved. Now all of the new growth has no blisters at all. What am I doing …

Jaboticaba or Brazilian Grape Tree 
Hi, what can you tell me about this plant? Other then it's a very slow growing fruit tree, I brought one recently awaiting delivery soon & need advice …

What are Succulent Plants? 
Why is it called a succulent plant? Drought Smart Plants reply: Succulent plants are called that due to their ability to store moisture, making the …

Candle succulent 
I want to buy one but don't know alot about it. Where can I get info? Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Ashley, I tried to lighten the image that you …

Could you suggest a full sun climbing plant 
I live in the NorthEast and the front of my house has FULL sun from about noon on throughout the afternoon. It is very hard for me to grow anything …

Plants for low light locations 
I need a suggestion for a planting bed in SW Florida that is located in an area with little or no sunlight. It has plenty of light but little direct sun. …

Mystery Office Plant 
My co-worker has a plant that we cannot identify. She's had it for a few years. The plant has survived a couple of mishaps - overwatering, lack of …

Yellow Button Squash 
To whom it may concern. I have a problem relating with my squash plants. I am growing yellow button squash and are spraying them with chemicals and feeding …

Will my Thyme plants survive? 
Hi Jacki, What a great site on drought tolerant plants. It seems anything and everything you would want to know is here! I am hoping you can help me …

sprouted lilium and late spring snow 
my lilies are about 5 inches tall in late april (4/22/12) due to a very mild winter and spring. Weather predictions are for heavy wet snow. Do I need to …

What's the best/quickest/cheapest way.... 
to build/grow one of those cool looking "living wall" things, made of different types of succulents. They are amazing, but which plants should I start …

strange growth on succulent 
Hi, We recently purchased this succulent, which I assume is an aloe of some kind? But I am now noticing a strange growth on the leaves, and I was hoping …

blooming succulents 
can i cut the blooming succulent flower and replant it? Drought Smart Plants reply: you can, but it won't grow, if that's what you want. In some cases, …

how can i save or regrow flap jack 
I bought a flapjack in march along with 2 other succulants and potted them together. all have done well except for the flapjack. All of the leaves on the …

Irish Strawberry tree - AKA Arbutis Enedo 
Hi I have an Irish Strawberry tree - AKA Arbutis Enedo. I have had it for a couple of years now, I have it planted in the ground quite healthy soil, I …

topsy turvy plant  
How can I save my topsy turvy plant from dying? Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Amy, without knowing a bit more about your plant and why you are …

Kalanchoe flapjacks flopped 
I have some flap Jack Kalanchoe and they have produced a large stem in the centre and now it has produced some flowers but due to the weight it has flopped …

college environmental student 
I am currently working on a white paper for my environmental science class, and my topic is green roofs. I would love an idea of sedums we can use in …

Can I Save My Echeveria? 
Hello - I made an amateur mistake and over-watered my echeveria plant that I got from Portugal last May. It had one central head and 4 smaller heads …

Haworthia emelyae 
Working on a project for school where one of the requirements is to put a common name for the above but I cannot find one. The only thing I have come up …

Large spikey succulent 
I have what I think is a succulent tree with spikes on the trunk about 7 feet tall with leaves at the top and the leaves grow right out of the trunk also …

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My Aruba Flower 
I was in Aruba this past Jan. 2012 and saw one unique flower. Upon returning home, I researched that the plant was a Stapelia Carrion. I ordered seeds …

painted succulents 
Will spray painting succulents for my wedding kill them? Drought Smart Plants reply: Some of the risk of spray painting succulents is that the propellent …

Best sedum and succulents for Chinook country 
Hi Im looking for the hardiest sedum and succulents to plant in chinook country. We are 30 kms north of Calgary and just in the foothills west. We continually …

i have a plant that i have no idea what it could be  
i have a little shrub that has a thick bamboo like stalk and short round thick waxy leaves with little pink flowers that look a little like a tiny rose …

sedum ID 
Hi Jackie, Can you ID this Sedum for me? It came in your donation for the xeriscape garden in 2010. Thanks Gwen Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi …

Hanging baskets 
Hi I have 4 hanging baskets and I am having trouble keeping what ever I put in them alive. I have been putting flowers, but I would like to try succulents …

no bird in paridise 
My bird of paradise is 23 yrs old never bloomed its a house plant Drought Smart Plants reply; Hi Bonnie, I'm assuming you would like some tips on …

echeveria runyonii broken! 
something fell on my little (i think..echeveria runyonii) plant and the top half of the plant broke off. Can I save it? If I take the top all the way …

4 year-old Mystery Plant 
I received the guy on the left last year from a vendor at work, who said the plant was approx. 3 years old. In a year and a few months' time, it has become …

chicken manure in potted plants 
How much chicken manure can I mix in potting soil for potted plants. I want to grow tomatoes in a large pot but don't want to burn their roots. Thank …

Lucky Bamboo! 
Hello, Quick question...what is the difference between growing a Lucky Bamboo plant in water vs soil? I have an extra pot and would like to use it but …

Why is my succulent so droopy? 
I repotted this succulent in October and seemed to be doing fine until I had to move it (only about 6 feet) to fit my Christmas tree and then back after …

what are these and how do i get rid of them? 
these things in teh picture are all over my house and plants in the alfresco what are they and how do i get rid of them?? thank you very much :D …

Songbirds - pro or con? 
I’m having a ‘discussion’ with my husband about why we would want to encourage birds to visit and stay in our garden – he thinks they are dirty pests, …

Fungus Gnats! 
I am having major issues with fungus gnats - is there no way of controlling these horrible little insects? I've tried repotting my whole collection (that …

What about Sedum in shade? 
I transplanted some sedum to my back yard which is nicely shaded... and even though all my other shade lovers are loving it... the sedum all died... what …

Bay Leaf 
I took a clipping of a bay leaf tree and I am wondering how I can get it to root. Carmen Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Carmen, you've started …

ruby cactus 
Why is my leaves falling off my ruby cactus? Can you help me? Thank you Drought Smart Plants reply: I'm sorry I don't know what type of plant …

Best Nitrogen Source - organic of course 
I have another question related to where I can find the best nitrogen source for my garden. I wrote earlier about my wish to be organic, and start …

mATERNITY pLANT broke off 4' 
I had a Maternity plant and tried to cover it because we were going to have a freeze. It was 5' tall and broke off to 4'. Is there any way to replant …

Dying Irish Bouquet? 
Help! I think my succulent is dying. It is, I believe, an Aeonium/Irish Bouquet. It gets filtered light through a north-facing window. I'm giving it the …

Chinese Redwood Tree 
I heard that the chinese redwood tree is rare in the united states. My mother planted one about 50 years ago in our back yard. She bought quite a few …

Colorful and single 
My friend was given a few stems of this recently from a friend of hers. I cannot remember what she said it was called though. She had it sitting in …

My big strong jade (cont) 
So, I took your recent suggestion and am trying my hand at Crassula Bonsai. Here are some pictures of the start. My wife is not very excited, she called …

Regional Flowers 
I live in Fairfield, Ohio and I was wondering what flowers would you reccomend planting at my school? Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Tracey, you …

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salvia d. 
what is the indian name for salvia divinorum Drought Smart Plants reply: To answer that question, you will have to find someone who speaks Indian, …

yellow and dark pink waxy petals 
hi my name is david, My freinds live in the rainforest of Kuranda, far north queensland. they have identified these spectacularly …

a small green snails on the soils of echeveria (small as the rice grain) 
i have repotted my echeveria today and was shocked that the soil on t he root of this beautiful rosette succulents have snails maybe a number of 10 or …

broken plant 
the head of my plant broke can i save it? if so do i replant the head or try to re attach to the stem. Drought Smart Plants reply: You're in luck! …

More about aloe plants 
I asked a while ago about my aloe plants that were growing offshoots. There are 2 main pots with aloe plants, both are growing offshoots, which are …

Pineappley goodness 
I recently stumbled upon a website about growing a pineapple plant. I have now started to attempt this. The website that I found said to cut the …

Attempt at violet propagation 
I had a violet leaf in a glass of water for quite some time. After a while, I realized that it should be planted. So, as you can see, it is now in …

camellias 
how far apart do I plant Camellias? Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Marjorie, I'm not an expert in growing Camellias as they don't grow where I …

cactus?! what is it and what should I do? 
I have a cactus, I think, and I am not sure what to do with it. It has grown a lot but in a curvy, heavy kind of way. It recently produced a pretty bloom …

tiny string beans hanging on the thick trunk 
Hi, I got this cute little plant and do not know how to care for it properly. It has been 3 months under my care, and it started to get sad, the lower …

Preparing Fertilizer  
IF you are trying to fertilize your house plants with 1000 ppm N:P:K using a 20-20-20 soluble fertilizer and only need 1 gall. To prepare the solution, …

White Bird of Paradise 
Hi – I just recently bought a White Bird of Paradise plant – it actually has three plants in one planter. I live in Phoenix where it is hot and dry. The …

Green Living Roof Material 
I've been interested in putting up a shed with a green roof and wondered what are the most important things re: the actual building. I am not sure what …

Living Succulent Wall 
I am interested in making a living wall, mostly succulents, it will be rather large aprox 3ft by 6ft. I was wondering if you would advise on types best …

Something wrong with my Aeonium Haworthia 'Kiwi' 
some of the rosettes are fine and then on one side of the plant its dead and stringy looking. Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Mum, thanks for posting …

Nice looking jade 
The other day my friend gave me this little plant. She had gotten it from Lowe's (a hardware store that also sells plants) for about $.50. I think …

Succulent not doing so well 
Tall woody stem with offshoots of roots above soil, seems to need a lot of direct light. Beautifull green and purple waxy thick leaves in a rosetta shaped …

Bin Shed Roof 
Hi I am doing some research on Sempervivum & Sedum which seem to be the most hardy of plants for my project needs. I have a bin shed cover with a rather …

Cactus is growing friends 
So, my friend recently moved and one of her plants is growing a little mold it looks like. She was very surprised by it so I do believe this is the …

Freakishly tall and skinny succulent plant 
Light green, new leaves point up around rosette end then older leaves curve down. It grows so fast and is getting too tall for me to handle. The first …

Can You Help Me? 
I can't find the name for this plant anywhere. So I don't know how to take care of it. Can you please help with the name. Drought Smart Plants reply; …

Christmas Cactus 
My Christmas cactus did really well for flowering in the winter, and bloomed for a long time, and was totally covered. Now it's getting little red growths …

Succulent Plant Problems 
Don't know the type of succulant, but it has got a whitish powder on all the leaves. I can touch it and get a little off on my finger. Also is getting …

korean spice vibernum 
We live in Ontario canada, and have bought a Korean spice vibernum (standard) and were wondering if we have to do anything to protect it during our frigid …

Beloved, unidentified, enormous plant is dying 
Bought this succulent (I assume its a succulent)shrub at a plant fair in Egypt about a year ago. The guy referred to it, in Arabic, as a "Napoleon cactus" …

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Tall and spikey trying to die again 
So, I recently asked a question regarding an aloe plant of mine. You had suggested that I twist off their heads and replant them, basically. I've tried …

Leaning Sedum telephium 
I have several Sedum (Telephium???) plant in front of my house, about 4 yrs old. They are so big, that they have opened up (all plant stalks have leened …

Purple heart 
I have had this purple heart plant for a few months now. I was given a cutting from a local plant place and have been happy with it. The piece they …

Aloe 
I've had this aloe plant for about 6 years now. Originally both of these larger parts were in the same pot, but about a year ago I separated them to try …

My big strong Jade 
This is a stem cutting from my wife's Jade plant. It started out being around 3-5 inches tall with only 4 leaves I think. I am very proud of how well …

Christmas cactus 
I feel very confident that this is a Christmas Cactus. It has been doing very well. I got it 5-6 years ago from a friend and it was just one little tiny …

Polka-dot plant propagation 
Hello there! I have had a polka-dot plant for a little while now. I know that it is supposed to be kept trimmed so it stays small and compact, but …

plant identification  
What is this please? Drought Smart Plants reply: This is the Castor Bean plant, Ricinus communis. Odd looking flowers aren't they? These will …

Cactus babies are growing 
A friend of mine was told cactus seeds can be difficult to grow, so she bought some and gave me them. It is a mixed bag, so I planted them in two different …

Haworthia is getting old 
I've had this Haworthia attenuata for years now. It was probably the first succulent that I was gifted. Anyway, I was just wondering what, if anything, …

Shade and drought tolerant 
Hi Your site is wonderful. I wish I lived closer to you! I too have an SBI site but that is not how I found you!! My question is what to plant on the …

bean's flower fall off 
Why green bean' flower fall off from plant Drought Smart Plants reply: Green beans flowers are for one purpose only - to attract insects to pollinate …

How to plant flats of elfin thyme for a thyme lawn 
I have flats of elfin thyme to plant and want to know if I need to cut them up. I want to end up with a thyme lawn (sooner rather than later!). Does …

Crape Myrtle 
My crapemyrtle tree is changing it's color to a pink, instead of the deep red that I purchased. What can I do? Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi …

Oxygen Plant ?? 
I am trying to trace a plant I used to have Years ago ... I'm sure it was called an Oxygen plant - it could be found in a green or red colour, it was …

Selecting a product to grow under my deck. 
Good afternoon and thank you for fielding my question. I reside in Staten Island, NY. The soil in our area is clay. I experience heavy runoff from rain …

Hypertufa as roof planting growing medium 
Can you please tell me if Hypertufa can be used as a planting growing medium. Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Mahmoud, if you form the hypertufa …

little black flies hovering around my indoor succulents 
Help! I recently bought some succulents and replanted them in a cactus mix (does contain some sphagnum peat moss)mixed with pumice. 50/50 mix. Now …

Homeowner with Thuja issue 
Hi, My husband and I planted 5 Arborvitae Green Giants last year, probably around October. We decided a 6th would look nice and rather than back to …

Just starting a garden at school 
What are some of the materials, supplies, watering systems, well, any information you could supply to a college student who has the chance to start a xeric …

Do you know what this is? 
I have this mysterious plant in my yard. Can you please identify it? Thank you so much!! Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Angela, that looks to …

Never seen this before, and I did not plant it 
Hello, I was wondering if you could assist in identifying this plant... Not sure what it is, but I did not plant it, and I have nothing like it in my …

Meyer Lemon with three-lobe leaves? 
I purchased two "improved" Meyer lemon trees last year and repotted into 10 gallon containers.. They both overwintered mostly indoors in Zone 7b. Both …

Tiny black bugs on Echeveria succulent 
I have an older (about 5 years old) Echeveria succulent that is flowering like crazy and I just noticed that some of the shoots have these tiny black bugs …

ants and hen and chicks 
Someone told me about hen and chick plants drawing ants. My hen and chicks are next to the house and they are covered in ants. Is there any relevance …

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Blooming Sempervivum 
I never realized that once a Sempervivum (hen and chicks) blooms, it will die until I got some that I really like, but they keep blooming, one by one, …

Echeveria Troubles 
I have an Echeveria plant. I have no idea what kind it is. I could send a picture. One of the leaves is yellowing and I don't know why. Its odd but I …

Cutting off Dead Flower Stalks 
Should I cut the dead blooms off my succulents? Drought Smart Plants reply: There is no reason not to remove the dead bloom stalks once the plant …

questions about blooming succulents 
Some of my succulents are blooming. Should I cut the flower stalk off after they're done-or are most of them going to die? Will it save the plant if …

Spacing for Sedum groundcovers 
I am planting a large area of groundcovers with different kinds of Sedum. I've got several different Sedum spurium - my favorite is Dr. John Creech as …

Best plants 
I live in Southeast Texas. It is hot, humid and full sun most of the day. I would like to plant some hardy, indigenous plants that will look nice in front …

Droopy Drawers Sempervivum 
I've noticed that some of my Sempervivum (hens and chicks), even when the plant appears healthy, with glossy and plump leaves, seem to droop on the lower …

Blue Spruce Sedum 
I planted some Blue Spruce Sedum a few weeks ago and now some of the plants are getting red at the lower end of the stems and they break off when you touch …

Mealy Bugs and other Guests 
Hi, I've never had any problems with my Succulents, But now I've got Mealy bugs which I'm treating but a couple of my Succulents have small holes (some …

Need help not ID 
This is my jelly bean plant. I don't understand why all the beans fell off when I bought it. Now it is just the stem and the beans at the top. Do you …

Succulent suddenly sprouted tall stem with yellow flowers - 10' high! 
This was thought to be a succulent, cactus, or agave type plant and for years was low to the ground with no central stalk. After coming home from a trip …

Palm trees 
I have two potted palm plants. They were exposed to frost over the winter, the leaves dried up and fell off. I've done this before and the plants have …

How can I make infertile soil? 
I am planning a xeric garden and the plants I want to use all require "infertile, fast-draining soil." I live in northern New Jersey and have some underlying …

Ornamental Grasses 
Hello Mr.H, I hope you can help me.., When does Maiden Grass start new growth ? Thank you for your time...R Drought Smart Plants reply: Actually, …

eucalyptus 
When can this plant be transplanted to another area of the garden? Drought Smart Plants reply: Eucalyptus, well known in their native Australia …

Hens & Chicks - Echeveria what? 
We received this plant from another Freecycle member who only called it Hens & Chicks. She said she has another which is more purple and teal colored (my …

Maple tree not doing well 
We bought a maple tree a couple years ago and planted it about 5ft. from the sugar gum tree we had taken down due to ants. We treated for the ants …

Citrus Trees 
Question 1. I have a lemoncito fruit tree that bore fruit in 2009, by 2010 it only give me 6 fruits, this year it only give 3 fruits. I fertilize all …

bell pepper plants 
Last year I grew several types of bell peppers, sweet red, green and yellow, I had very nice looking plants but very few peppers. This is not the first …

Help with a tulip 
I have bought a tulip bulb and planted it in a tub 2 month ago...but the roots are only growing not the stem or any flower. Can you tell me why? …

Growing Thyme 
I need some information on Thyme growing. I'm wanting to grow thyme groundcover to spread amongst some rocks, and wondered if thyme Doone Valley would …

What is the difference between Sedum and Sempervivum? 
I've seen so much about sedum and sempervivum on blogs and everywhere lately - I'm very confused about the difference between them. Can you enlighten …

Brown spots on echeveria 
I bought an Echeveria 'Ruby' at my local grocery store. It was blooming when I got it but the blooms dried up quickly and have not returned. Now the leaves …

cost of sedum stock 
Hello, We are a Peace Country Sod grower and want to diversify our farm. I was thinking of growing Sedum in bulk on some of our land that is not in …

Orostachys 
where can I get Orostachys seed? I was able to get some on the nargs seed exchange, specifically O. chantei, O. iwarenge and an unknown species. I've …

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green giant arborvitae trees 
Our neighbors planted trees that were evergreens that reach to be 50 ft. tall as a border between our properties. After the recent snow/ice storm, …

Sedum and Cedar Hedge 
Michele asked me this question and I thought it was important to share, as others may be wondering the same thing. Here is the question that Michele asks: …

Insect and Plants in Jurassic times 
What caused the size of plants and insects to change? In my Environmental Science class we learned that millions of years ago insects, dragonflies etc. …

Plants for Northern Peru Dry and Warm Year Round 
It is dry like desert and warm to hot year round with very little precipitation. What would you recommend as easy and hardy ground cover and border …

Leaves Dropping 
I've got a few succulent plants on the window sill in my office, which I thought would be bright enough, but lately some of the leaves are falling off, …

Sedum in Florida 
Hi, Are there any Sedum varieties that would do well in poorly irrigated spots in a home landscape in central FL, zone 9b-10a? In other words, ranging …

senecio scaposus silver coral is dying ! help ! 
I have a silver coral Senecio scaposus which has been doing very well until about two three days ago. It has started to lose its leaves which turn a dark …

what is eating my plant??? 
at first i thought that the possums were nibbling on my succulents - sometimes they take chunks out of the leaves, but this is now happening to parts of …

Strange Aeonium issue 
My Aeoniums have prompted me to seek help without delay. WHAT have they got? I don't see anything visible on them, but they must have SOME pest that's …

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