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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.

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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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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!

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Monday - August 17, 2009

From: Broussard, LA
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I am trying to identify a plant in Crocket County Texas. It looks similar to a small thistle. It has purple thorny bulbs on it, the stem and leaves also are thorny.

ANSWER:

Mr Smarty Plants thinks this sounds like one of the Eryngos, probably Eryngium leavenworthii (Leavenworth's eryngo).  The USDA Plants Database shows it occurring in Crocket County.  If this isn't the plant you saw and you have a photo or two of it, please send them to us and we will do our very best to identify your plant.  Visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page to read instructions for submitting photos for identification.

 


Eryngium leavenworthii

Eryngium leavenworthii

Eryngium leavenworthii

 


 

 

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