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
5 ratings

Saturday - September 12, 2009

From: Natchitoches, LA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification for Louisiana
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Trying to identify a "fruit bearing" plant around Natchitoches, Louisiana. Grows about waist high to average man, slightly elongated green leaf, bearing small green "fruit" or "berry", with paper thin, veiny skin. Grows wild, bushy, deer seem to be attracted to it.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants thinks this sounds like a species of Physalis.  Here are some that are of sufficient height and are native to Louisiana:

Physalis angulata (cutleaf groundcherry) grows to about 3 feet and here are more photos and information.

Physalis heterophylla (clammy groundcherry) grows to 1.5 to 2.5 feet and here are more photos and information.

Physalis pubescens (husk tomato) grows to 2.5 feet and here are more photos and information.

Physalis virginiana (Virginia groundcherry) grows to 3 feet and here are more photos and information.

If none of these is the plant you have seen, please send us photos and we will do our best to identify your plant.  Please visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page for instructions on submitting photos.


Physalis angulata

Physalis heterophylla

Physalis pubescens

Physalis virginiana

 

 

More Plant Identification Questions

Identification of vining plant with red berries in California
January 28, 2016 - We found a vining plant next to and growing in our stream with gorgeous purple leaves in the fall after frost and a few sporadic clusters of smooth small red berries with little thorns on the vine. We...
view the full question and answer

Identification of possible edible huckleberry in Central Texas
July 20, 2007 - I'm trying to identify a plant in my backyard, and in particular, I'm wondering if it's an edible huckleberry of some kind. Given all the rain Austin has had this summer, I wonder if it's not bey...
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

Identification of plant on shores of Lake Erie
September 27, 2011 - I've used Newcomb's and several other guides but cannot ID: Green small dot like flowers, found on the beach of Lake Erie in Dunkirk NY, many of them growing right in the sand. Smells very much, a...
view the full question and answer

Tall lily with dark berry at leaf attachment
June 25, 2012 - A lily showed up in my flower garden last year (central Illinois); about 3' tall, a single dark berry at the stem where each leaf is attached. It didn't flower. This year it's approaching 4' tall ...
view the full question and answer

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