Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

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.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
2 ratings

Saturday - May 23, 2009

From: Ramona, CA
Region: California
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification.
Answered by: Nan Hampton and Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

Looking for the name of a green, bamboo-like plant with narrow leaves. Have no pictures.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants can't think of any native plants that fit your description, but can think of a few non-native plants that do.  Chamaedorea seifrizii (Bamboo palm) is a native of Mexico and Central America.  Here are more photos and more information about C. seifrizii.  Another possibility is Dypsis lutescens (Golden cane palm), a native of Madagascar.   Tamarisk or salt cedar trees, Tamarix sp. are invasive non-natives that also have the look of bamboo.   If none of these are the plant you are looking for and you can find a photo of the plant, please send it to us and we will do our best to identify it for you.  Visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page for information on submitting photos.            

 

 

 

More Plant Identification Questions

Plant identification of purple flower in Washington state
July 19, 2013 - I need help. I am a 10 year old girl who just happens to have a brother. He has a deep purple flower with small, oval shaped petals. We would like to know what it is. We planted it in a garden thing a...
view the full question and answer

Identification of strange dark green blobs
February 03, 2012 - In my back yard I have a type of plant with no roots only around in the summer and when it rains. It looks like a person took a piece lettuce and put way too much water into it and wadded it up. It ...
view the full question and answer

Identification of plant with orange sap that glows at night
June 06, 2012 - I was just pulling up a plant and noticed that its sap was a kind of orange then I noticed it glowing orange at night. What kind of plant is this and is it dangerous?
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
March 15, 2012 - There's a wildflower I can't identify. I have a picture of it and have searched many sites and can't seem to find it. Is there a way I can submit the pic to you to identify?
view the full question and answer

A blue-eyed grass with salmon-colored blooms?
June 16, 2015 - Has anyone heard of a blue-eyed grass variety that has salmon-colored blooms? I have a photo if needed.
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.