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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
rate this answer
Friday - June 22, 2007
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Tentative identification of Ibervillea lindheimeri
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I live close to the Center and found a plant in the park near my house I'd like identified. It was a vine with bright red fruit on it. The fruit was about the size of a cherry tomato but was oblong. It has a hard rind with bright orange pulp and black seeds the size of a BB. The vine didn't have any flowers on it but could it be a passionflower? Thank you.ANSWER:
Most likely your vine is Ibervillea lindheimeri (Lindheimer's globeberry or balsam gourd). It is very common on the grounds of the Wildflower Center and ours are covered with the bright red fruits right now. Another possibility is Passiflora foetida (Corona de Cristo or fetid passionflower) which has bright red fruit about the size you describe. It is native to South Texas, but is often planted elsewhere and could be an escapee from someone's garden.
If one of these isn't the vine you saw, please send us photos and we will be happy to have another try at identifying it. For instructions on sending digital photos for us to identify, please read Plant Identification on the Ask Mr. Smarty Plants page.
More Plant Identification Questions
Identity of plant that smells like passion fruits at Westcave
September 07, 2012 - Green greetings! I saw a plant in the canyon at Westcave Preserve last weekend. They are small bushes with elliptic leaves. They are impressive because the leaves smell like passion fruits. Do you hav...
view the full question and answer
Identification of perennial with dark red/purple flowers
November 17, 2011 - Need to identify a lovely perennial here in Norfolk, Virginia. It reseeds itself, spreads, and lingers into the late fall. It has rather thick, dark green, alternate spatulate leaves at the base wit...
view the full question and answer
Lookink for bulbs of German Blue Bells in Weatherford, TX.
July 09, 2012 - I am searching for a plant that is called "German Blue Bells". They are tubular as seed. Like tiny iris only bands around the tubular. The flower looks like a morning glory with an off set bloom....
view the full question and answer
Identification of spiny plant in Yucca Mesa, CA
March 02, 2011 - I have a very prickly bush on my property near Yucca Mesa, CA, (high desert). 2 to 3 feet high. Branches mostly starting from the center near ground. Lots of 1 to 2 inch spines on branches. Dormant in...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
August 26, 2011 - I have found a small tree like plant that is small and the stem or trunk was thin and the leaves look like fern leaves. I also found a larger one it was thicker and closer to the ground the leaves wer...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |