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.
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Smarty Plants Question Topics
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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| Identity of a pink-flowering bush with flowers like sweet peas June 29, 2012 I have found a pink flowering small tree / bush that has picky branches kind of looks like sweet pea flowers and the leaves kind of look like shumac. Growing near the thick woods of northern MI View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Question about the Chitalpa tree June 28, 2012 A bush w/6" long pencil thin seed pod, leaves 4"x1/2", flower that looks like the flower on the Chitalpa tree. Is there a Chitalpa bush. The one I have I grew from seed from the pod; flat, round ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of 3 small flowers in Hays County, Texas June 25, 2012 Trying to identify three (3) wildflowers growing on my property in the northwest corner of Hays Co, all very, very small blooms of about 1 cm. (roughly 1/4 inch): (1) small white blooms with five peta... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Tall lily with dark berry at leaf attachment June 25, 2012 A lily showed up in my flower garden last year (central Illinois); about 3' tall, a single dark berry at the stem where each leaf is attached. It didn't flower. This year it's approaching 4' tall ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| E-mailing a picture for Plant ID from Dexter KY June 25, 2012 Could I email a picture of a vine that is taking over my porch? Can't seem to find it anywhere. It is dark green and relatively shiny with 10 leaves on each stem. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Distinguishing non-native Wisteria from Austin June 25, 2012 How do I distinguish a native wisteria from a non-native wisteria? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant ID of unknown purchased plant from Boise ID June 24, 2012 Hi! I bought a tree that the sales person didnt know what it was. I thought it was a cherry tree and now after about 3-4 yrs I know it is but..How do I know if it is an ornamental tree or real fruit t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Holly-like groundcover under live oak tree. June 21, 2012 I have looked and looked and cannot identify a wonderful groundcover holly growing in the shade beneath my 100 year old Live Oak here in Austin. I have looked up every possible Ilex variety and am stu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of small plant with white flowers in Baltimore, MD June 21, 2012 It's a small plant, has flowers in June, four white petals with large, tall conical center, about no more than an inch in diameter. The leaves are alternating with branched veins. It stays at about 6... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of yellow flowers in Wisconsin June 19, 2012 We have plants near Madison, Wisconsin that some call lanceleaf coreoposis however I believe they are some type of invasive species. They have yellow flowers, seem to spread by seed. and don't grown ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant ID at Wildflower Center from Waco TX June 18, 2012 I was at the Center last weekend and no one was able to answer these two questions: 1. Where can I buy Silver Ponyfoot groundcover? 2. What is the name of the plant with coral blossoms in front of... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant ID at the Wildflower Center from Austin June 18, 2012 I was at the Wildflower Center today and loved the green plants with delicate white flowers that were in both clay pots in front of the auditorium. Please let me know the name of the plants. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of garlic-like plant in Florida June 17, 2012 Please tell me what this plant is. It is not Society Garlic and it is not Meadow Garlic. It has THREE curling purple leaves and lots of bulbs flowering from the same stalk. The pointy leaves are edg... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Two-leafed trilliums June 17, 2012 Turns out our 2 leafed plant IS a trillium..I saw that another person from our town also asked about trilliums..we are happy to have them, but it is confusing when the third upper leaf is absent or ve... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification June 16, 2012 Hello Mr. Smarty Plants: We conducted an Internet search to find a name for a plant we have that has 2 opposing leaves on stalks, and is starting to grow a purple flower in the middle, near the groun... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of white flowers, 6 petals and 5 yellow stamens June 16, 2012 Have white flower with 6 petals and 5 yellow stamen in middle . Looks like yellow stamen star cluster. Could be Gladious or Star of bethleham but Star has 6 yellow stamen in middle right? Can you id... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Incomplete question from Austin TX June 16, 2012 If I asked this same question but in regards to Austin TX what would the answer be? My 2 plants have spent 2 winters indoors (they are huge now and never stop blooming), but am wondering about leaving... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from Apex NC June 16, 2012 Can you identify this plant? It is growing in our backyard in Apex, North Carolina. Picture of plant is here: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZLJzQZyqq0dkU2HJQe50A9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?fea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Shrub with red two-globed berries June 15, 2012 I am looking for the name of a red berry with 2 globes attached to each other on a plant with small soft oval shaped leaves.I live in Maryland and they are maturing now. These bushes are in the park ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of bulbs from digging in an anthole June 13, 2012 I was digging in an ant hole and it collapsed and as I dug it out, I found around 50 white bulbs that did not have a smell or roots. They resembled onion bulbs. I have a picture of these and they are... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of flower that looks like Callirhoe in NC June 12, 2012 Have a flower similar to callirhoe, but the blossum is fuchia, not purple and the foliage is light sage in color and fuzzy. It is very invasive. What is it? If you have an email address, I can send... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from San Anselmo CA June 12, 2012 I have a spreading ground cover that no one has been able to ID in years of searching. I have taken photos of flower and foliage. I want to ID to try to improve site conditions and increase covera... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of vine in Pennsylvania June 11, 2012 I have several vine plants growing in my deck planters from last season. The leaves are 9 pointed, it looks more like 7, but there are 2 little points at the very bottom of the larger leaves. When t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant Identification of plant similar to Oxytropis campestris June 08, 2012 This plant was found in Breckenridge Texas. Yellow flowers like Oxytropis campestris, yet it is not supposed to be in Texas. Is this possible? Soil is gravelly, sandy and yellow clay. sorry no pho... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification for plant near Lake Tahoe June 07, 2012 Looking to figure out what this plant is: grows along water ways, moist areas in Lake Tahoe. Looks tropical. Only seen small versions of it but it looks like miniature bamboo with a softer stem and br... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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