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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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Saturday - October 15, 2005
From: Edwardsburg, MI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Vines
Title: Smarty Plants on wisteria
Answered by: Nan Hampton and Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
A friend has a wisteria bush in his yard that was planted around 1950 by his mother. It has yellow blossoms. He has been told many times by people passing by (they stop to look at the plant) that there are no more yellow wisteria bushes to be found. Is this true? Thank you for your help.ANSWER:
As far as we here at the Wildflower Center know, there is no such thing as a yellow wisteria. We suspect what your friend has is a Golden Chain Tree (Laburnum sp.). Most likely it is Laburnum x watereri which is a hybrid between L. alpinum and L. anagyroides. It is native to Southern Europe and has been introduced to North America as an ornamental.Here are more photos and information about the Golden Chain Tree.
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