Explore Plants
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.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Tuesday - November 10, 2009
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Tree purchased at LBJWC plant sale from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I bought a tree at the 2008 LBJ Wildflower plant sale, it is growing great. I would like to plant it in the proper location/soil but lost the name tag and can't identify it. It has very fine leaves, has stickers and grown in several directions, not normal branches. Maybe you can identify it or I can send a pic.ANSWER:
Even though the tree came from our Plant Sale, there are hundred of species of plants available at every Sale, and some of the trees are brought in by vendors. There are lists of plants available for each sale, but that doesn't necessarily include those brought in by vendors, and the plants on them change with each sale. Please go to our Plant Identification page and follow the instructions to send us a picture. Since it will be native to this area, because that's what we sell at our Plant Sales, we should be able to identify it.
Two possibilities that occurred to us from your description are: Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite) and Acacia farnesiana (sweet acacia). We know these have been sold at our sales, but couldn't say if they were in the 2008 sale. Follow the plant links to read about each plant, look at the pictures below from our Native Plant Image Gallery and perhaps we'll get lucky.
From our Native Plant Image Gallery:
More Plant Identification Questions
Pepper plants growing in California
September 11, 2008 - Hello, I have several hot pepper plants growing in my yard. I would like to know what the pepper is called. I dry them out and grind them up to a powder and use it in many dishes. I have asked my l...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification, possibly Actaea rubra, red baneberry
August 06, 2008 - I came across a plant that has leaves similar to the astillbe shrub, stands about 3 feet high, and instead of a flower spire, has a chunk of bright red berries the size of medium-sized pearls atop its...
view the full question and answer
Identity of plant at Zilker Botanical Gardens
March 22, 2011 - I am trying to identify a large flowering shrub I saw at Zilker Botanical Gardens. The bloom looks like a small chrysanthemum bloom that has been ruffled. The bloom are yellow, white, or pink. We h...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification of a potted vine in California
October 04, 2011 - Hi, we have a tropical vine growing in a pot on our patio that my wife bought at the county fair. We've had it for a couple of years but I just noticed it now has a sort of pear like fruit on it. It ...
view the full question and answer
Identification of Sagittaria-like plant with purple flowers
July 21, 2011 - I have collected a wetland plant that I can't seem to identify. Its an emergent plant collected along with a species of sagittaria. Very similar in leaf structure to an sagittaria or alisima, but i...
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
