Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

DONATE TODAY

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
Not Yet Rated

Sunday - August 05, 2007

From: Mamaroneck, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Botanical name for \
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

A friend gave me a garden flower plant called "clown face". What is the botanical name and where can I get info about it?

ANSWER:

According to the Garden Detective of sacbee.com (the web page of the Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California) "Clown Face" is Mimulus x hybridus, a hybrid of M. luteus (a native of South America, but naturalized in Britain) and M. guttatus (a native of North America). (A synonym for M. x hybridus is M. tigrinus and another common name is "monkey flower".) In addition to the information from the Garden Detective of the Sacramento Bee, you can find more information about caring for M. x hybridus from the National Home Gardening Club.
 

More Plant Identification Questions

Identification of Beetleweed or Galax as
February 28, 2006 - My mother will soon celebrate her 100th birthday. For her 1st birthday her mother decorated her highchair with "smilox". I am trying to find out what plant this is. I have found "smilax" but it is...
view the full question and answer

Identification of alien-looking plant
June 06, 2013 - I have a plant that grows 4-5 feet tall, it has pretty "alien looking" flowers with "pods" under flower, and marijuana looking leaves and smell. My neighbor gave me a start last year, and it has ...
view the full question and answer

Incomplete question from Austin TX
June 16, 2012 - If I asked this same question but in regards to Austin TX what would the answer be? My 2 plants have spent 2 winters indoors (they are huge now and never stop blooming), but am wondering about leaving...
view the full question and answer

Plant Identification
November 15, 2008 - Hi, I live in ne pa.i have always had a fasvorite wild flower with yellow flowers in the spring. the plant lasts all summer and fall til first frost. It gets small thin bean like seed pods that I save...
view the full question and answer

Lily of the Valley growing in Red River County, TX
March 26, 2012 - Mr. SP, I just returned from Red River County, TX where I observed Lily of the Valley growing in a very old cemetery. Is this unusual for this area of the country?
view the full question and answer

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