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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| topic | question | |
| Plant identification June 07, 2011 Please help me identify this volunteer plant in my back yard in Austin, TX. It has long thorns. Thank you. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Summer fragrance from Naples FL June 07, 2011 Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Naples, Florida, there has been something that blooms in the summer. I smell this every day into the evening and it isn't a flowery fragrance, it was a li... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plant from Tennessee June 06, 2011 I was trying to find the identity of a plant my Grandmother grew around her house in West Tennessee. It was a nonflowering plant, about 12-24 in tall, had thornless leaves similar in shape to holly l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of a mushroom in England June 02, 2011 I have a fungi I cannot recognize. It has a whitish soft pithy stem about 2/3 mm wide and approximately 6-10cm long. It has no leaves just a white flower/seed case on the top of the stem. This head is... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of yellow thistle-like plant June 01, 2011 Dear Mr.Smarty Plants, I see this flower along the road but I can't seem to find it on your website. It looks like a yellow thistle and it is a panicle and a head. It is about a foot tall. Do you kn... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of small plant May 31, 2011 Hi, Mr. Smarty Plants, We are doing a biology project where we have to identify certain plants found in our area. We encountered a infinity symbol-shaped light green plant, about 4 cm high, and light... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Ivy with holes in its leaves May 31, 2011 Mr. Smarty Pants, Please help me, I was given an ivy (origin unknown). It is peculiar. It has holes in the leaves, not from bugs or from bacteria, etc. It is natural, the holes develop in some type... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Looking for the identification of spice or cinnamon bush May 30, 2011 My grandmother had a flowering bush that had little yellow flowers on it and smelled like cinnamon to me. She called it a spice bush. Could you help me name that bush? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of plant in wildflower show May 29, 2011 Was in Julian California yesterday for a wild flower display. Had a bad stomach ache as I was walking around looking at the flowers. Saw this one. About 6 inches tall. Instead of leaves, it had wh... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of small tree in McKinney TX with puffy red/pink bloom May 23, 2011 Looking for info on McKinney area sm/med size tree found at water's edge that has a puffy rd pink bloom. Thanks. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Visual difference between Yarrow and Queen Anne's lace in Austin, TX? May 16, 2011 What is different, visually, between yarrow and Queen Anne's lace? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification for Beeville, TX May 15, 2011 Hi, Mr. Smarty Plants, I just saw this question on your web site: "Today in Beeville, TX I came across a plant that looks like a grass, but has a small black and white dotted flower. The flower lo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification for Beeville, TX May 14, 2011 Today in Beeville, TX I came across a plant that looks like a grass, but has a small black and white dotted flower. The flower looks like an orchid. Could you identify this or give me direction as t... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mystery small tree with many large thorns May 09, 2011 In a small spot on over 2 acres, we have this strange tree/shrub. It is a single, straight stem with no branches, and has profuse, large thorns from top to bottom. At the top of the stem, the leaves... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of small plant with lavendar flower May 07, 2011 I have something growing in my yard and pasture that for some odd reason is growing all over the place. I never noticed it being this abundant before. I'm not sure if it's listed as a wild flower or... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mystery plant in VA May 06, 2011 We bought a new house with an established garden bed last fall. We have a tall single stemmed plant with long slightly twisted leaves that looks like a tall tulip plant. However, it is just starting... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification for West Virginia May 01, 2011 Looking for the name of a wild flower in West Virginia, small golden colored petals..resembles a daisy. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of volunteer tree April 28, 2011 I have a volunteer tree in my yard that has a mixture of serrated, non-serrated, and partially-serrated leaves on it. My tree identification guides all assume either serrated or non-serrated. How do... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of trees in Georgetown and Austin area from Chilton TX April 24, 2011 I recently visited Georgetown,Texas and the Austin, Texas area. There were many multi-trunk trees in yards and in landscaping at the hotel we stayed at. What kind of trees are these multi-trunk tr... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plant from childhood April 23, 2011 I am trying to locate and identify a plant from my childhood (I'm 65). It was either a small tree or possibly a tree formed hedge like plant. It had small roundish leaves scattered on tiny limbs simi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plants from India April 20, 2011 Where can I find identification of a plant that is from India. It climbs up trees and has beautiful small orchid type flowers. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of purple flower near Ft. Worth April 20, 2011 I'm doing a Flower Project for my Biology class. My partner and I have found a flower that we cannot identify and neither can our teacher. I found it on Interstate 35 going through Ft. Worth, Texas. ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification April 07, 2011 Comal County, Texas. Trying to identify a plant found growing in Comal Co. It was growing along the ground, with long, spiky leaves, and a ball of green flowers with a dark purple/brown 5 pointed sta... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification April 06, 2011 I'm trying to figure out the name of a plant/shrub purchased a couple years ago. It was a shrub (about medium sized) with yellow blooms that smelled like lemon. I don't think it was lemon balm or le... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of tree along Austin highways April 01, 2011 I am trying to identify a large tree seen along many Austin Highways. The best ID can find is Western Soapberry, but the articles all specify white blooms. The trees I see have purple clusters of bloo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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