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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| Plant identification September 29, 2010 What is the name of the beautiful pink flowers with tiny Orchid-like blossoms occurring now all alongside the highways in the Bee Cave, TX and hill country area? Is it "slenderleaf false foxglove",... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification September 23, 2010 There is a vine that grows at my child's daycare that has been taunting me day and night, because I have no idea what it is and I typically have no problems identifying plants. Description: Vine- L... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification September 22, 2010 I live in Austin. Texas. My garden has been lying fallow for several seasons and earlier this week I started clearing the weeds and wild flowers in hopes of getting our vegetable garden started again... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification September 21, 2010 Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, Hopefully you can help identify the following plant. I've had a bush type of weed growing near my hay feeder for the cows this year that's about 2' tall has massive spikes o... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| What is the correct genus name for Fringe flower in North Myrtle Beach, SC? September 14, 2010 Is it Laura Pedlum or lorapetalum? I saw this shrub last week, and finally found a picture of it. The search engine listed about three different names for it! So what is the correct name, and does i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification, possibly Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed) September 07, 2010 What wild growing plant has dark purple berries with a pinkish stem? The purple berries grow on their own stem and not in among the leaves, the leaves are green. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Information about a red-flowered Pavonia lasiopetala in central TX. September 07, 2010 I have grown Pavonia for years and just let it re-seed where it wants (and remove if I don't want it where it falls). This year I created a new 6 inch raised bed amended with compost and some manure... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification September 04, 2010 Please identify this tree: has leaves like a catalpa, blue/lavender flowers on a long flower spike at the end of the limb, green fruit/seed about the size of a pecan it is fuzzy like a peach with a h... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Need Plant Identification from Bon Aqua, Tennessee? September 01, 2010 By a creek, I found a plant that I have never seen in my life. It has a tall stalk and has leaves like a weed or grass, and the flower looks like a pine tree. The plant looks like a mix of a grass, a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification of ethereal plant in Colorado August 28, 2010 We live in the south central mountains of Colorado in the upper Arkansas River valley near Salida, Colorado. During the past few weeks we have noticed a very mystic looking plant (flower/grass?) alon... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification August 28, 2010 I have a very distinctive vine accompanying morning glory in invading my beds - it is Prickly! (on the vine, underside of leaves, leaf stems). The leaf is not arrowhead, but a triangle; I've not seen... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification, possibly Datura wrightii August 25, 2010 I have a plant in my back yard, it had big white trumpet flowers, and now it has huge green pods. Doesn't smell very nice. Could you tell me what it is? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification from Sarasota, FL. August 23, 2010 Hi I recently went to Discovery Cove in Orlando Florida and saw a purple flowering tree/shrub that had branches similar to okra shape or starfruit shape, the leaves were very grainy similar to alligat... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification, possibly Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed) August 20, 2010 I have a patch of plants I can't find what they are, could you help? The plant is a tuber (resembles a carrot when it is small), the stalk is red and fibrous, comes back each year bigger, has green ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from Bloomsdale MO August 19, 2010 I have found a plant growing on the side of the road in a weedy area, looks like a poker flower, the plant has Red/orange seed pods growing to a point. no flowers right now. grows on a stem very much... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from Chicago August 18, 2010 This plant is VERY common along highways across the entire midwest, and often other parts of the country. It has a long stem with a cluster of white flowers usually only on the top of the stem. The le... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from Chicago August 18, 2010 When I was hiking in Portland, OR, my friend had me eat a leaf off of a trail-side plant. It tasted very much like sour apple, it was delicious. It has average-sized green leaves and in July it had no... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from Rigin TX August 18, 2010 I have noticed a low growing plant with slick geranium shaped leaves. Today (August 17) I found a tiny- about half inch five sided pod on it. Each side is shaped like a heart! Have not noticed any f... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from North Carolina August 16, 2010 Hi Mr. Smartyplants, I know that you can identify blue cohash in a neat way: 3 stems which easy branch to 3 more stems which each branch into 3 more and then 3 leaves attached to each. Well, do you... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant ID from Beaumont TX August 13, 2010 I live in Beaumont Texas and have some trees on the land I hunt that look like a yaupon but put on a small blue berry that the deer devour in December. I have looked and searched the Internet but hav... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification from Tamaqua PA August 08, 2010 I live in PA, have a plant growing in my geranium planter, was told it was a moonflower, but it is not a vine. The flower is a white trumpet, six star, with purple in the middle. leaves look like ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification July 31, 2010 I have this shrub looking type plant with leaves that smell like lemons. The plant has a very small white flower on it. This shrub shows up in my yard every year in the summer. We are curious as to we... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification July 28, 2010 I am trying to identify a plant that was given as a gift.It is growing outside in a pot, it is about 20 inches tall. Has green leaves on top, purple underneath and lovely purple flowers. Seems to lik... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Does goldenball leadtree (Leucaena retusa) have thorns? July 26, 2010 I have a plant that I am told is a native Texas plant, but the person I got it from could not remember its name. They said it was very hardy and drought tolerant. It looks a little like goldenball lea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification July 24, 2010 I was wondering if you could help me identify a plant in the carrot family that has invaded a portion of my property that I fear may be toxic. It looks most like the water hemlock plant (leaf-wise, ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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