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
Not Yet Rated

Sunday - February 03, 2008

From: Romeoville, IL
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Is there a Salvia azurea var. alba?
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Is there a Salvia azurea var. alba?

ANSWER:

Apparently not. The USDA Plants Database shows, besides Salvia azurea, Salvia azurea var. azurea and Salvia azurea var. grandiflora. Salvia azurea var. grandiflora has three synonyms listed for it—Salvia azurea var. intermedia, Salvia azurea var. pitcheri, and Salvia pitcheri.

If you search the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) for "Salvia azurea", you will find Salvia azurea, Salvia azurea var. azurea and Salvia azurea var. grandiflora listed as accepted names. Salvia azurea var. intermedia, Salvia azurea var. pitcheri, and Salvia pitcheri are listed as synonyms (and therefore not accepted names) for Salvia azurea var. grandiflora.

 

More Plant Identification Questions

Plant identification for Beeville, TX
May 14, 2011 - Today in Beeville, TX I came across a plant that looks like a grass, but has a small black and white dotted flower. The flower looks like an orchid. Could you identify this or give me direction as t...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
April 16, 2010 - No pictures only memory. It looks like a dried flower and grows with other wildflowers along roadside. It is mostly purple or blue purple and sometimes called statis. Stems favor dandelions, only t...
view the full question and answer

Origin of cultivar of Sophora secundiflora
April 01, 2012 - Howdy, Mr. Smarty Plants! I am hoping you can shed some light on the origin of my silver-leaved TX Mountain Laurel, "Silver Peso". Some nurseries refer to it as a genetic variation of Sophora secu...
view the full question and answer

Identification of plant in Illinois
August 13, 2007 - I've found a plant that I cannot identify. The plant is is very short, 2 inches tall maybe, and has very fragile, thin leaves and stem. The leaves about 1" long, are pinnate, with about 20 leaflets ...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
December 15, 2008 - I am looking for the name of the plant that looks like the spider plant but can survive the cold weather of the northeast. It looks just like the indoor spider plant but it does not produce offshoots....
view the full question and answer

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