Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Thursday - August 05, 2010
From: marlboro, NJ
Region: Northeast
Topic: Vines
Title: Mystery vine in Marlboro NJ
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have a patch in my backyard where we planted pumpkins last year but it does not look like pumpkin vines to me. The vine is smooth and the leaves are long and oval that come to a point. There are skinny stems branching off the main with several white tiny flowers, 5 petals, with a green center. Help me identify this please.ANSWER:
Since at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center we specialize in plants native to North America, we don't have much expertise in vegetables. Even those that are native to North America have been hybridized so much that they are no longer recognizable as native. That is the case with the pumpkin, so we won't have information on it in our Native Plant Database.
We love identifying native plants for folks! Do you have a picture of a plant found growing in the wild somewhere in North America and you would like to know its name? Send us an email following the instructions below. Please do not send pictures of house plants, office plants, garden plants, plants seen on your vacation to Costa Rica or other clearly non-native species. For identification of non-native plants you might consider visiting the UBC Botanical Gardens Forums website.
- Tell us where and when you found the plant and describe the site where it occurred.
- If possible, take several high-resolution images including details of leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, and the overall plant.
- Save images in JPEG format. Do not reduce the resolution of your images. High-resolution images are much easier for us to work with.
- Send email with images attached to [email protected]. Please enter Plant ID Request on the subject line of your email.
More Vines Questions
Blocking dust from a road in Sturgis MS
September 20, 2012 - Please let me know what Trees/shrubs will help block dust from dirt road.
view the full question and answer
Information about mustang grapes
March 14, 2016 - We live in the Driftwood area. There is a native vine that looks like Mustang grape but never produces. A friend who is native to this area called it rat vine.
I miss my Mustang grape jelly. Is t...
view the full question and answer
Is Convolvulus equitans poisonous?
August 22, 2015 - Hello,
Can you tell me if convolvulus equitans is poisonous? If so, can you tell me how poisonous and which parts are poisonous? I am considering putting this in my backyard but I have a dog and an...
view the full question and answer
Native vine to replace non-native Ficus pumila creeping fig
April 01, 2012 - What is a good evergreen alternative to ficus pumila to cover a rough-textured concrete wall in Houston TX?
view the full question and answer
Mexican species Orbexilum melanocarpum.
January 04, 2013 - This is not a question; just a note to supplement a previous MSP post answering a query about a source for Orbexilum. The "mountain pea" that the original questioner was asking about is the e...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |