Native Plants
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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
rate this answer
Thursday - January 14, 2010
From: Goldsboro, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: General Botany, Pests
Title: Identification of strange tiny creature in plant water
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have a house plant rooted in water. I has been for over a year and the plant seems healthy, I change the water often and keep it clean. I now have noticed that something is growing it. A fish type of creature. I cannot find anyone who can explain this. It swims almost bending in half. It is no bigger then a tiny finger nail, but seems to have grown a fish like tail! I am baffled!ANSWER:
Your strange creature sounds to me like the larva and perhaps pupa of one of the mosquitoes. A female mosquito could easily lay eggs in your plant container's water without you noticing her doing so or noticing the eggs once they were there. Here's another link to the mosquito's life cycle. You can also watch this short YouTube video of the Culex mosquito's life cycle and see how the larvae and pupae move in the water.
More General Botany Questions
Use of the word annual
May 27, 2015 - Why is the word 'annual' used to describe plants with one grow season, when in all other cases it's used to describe things that reoccur year after year? i.e. Events, celebration, salary?
view the full question and answer
Smog-eating plants from Ft. Worth TX
September 30, 2012 - Looking for a list (40 >) of Native Texas Plants for Fort Worth Urban (Condo) that are Drought tolerant or (drip irr) and Fragrant and long blooming and eat up the city smog. Fort Worth is in a non-at...
view the full question and answer
Have invasive plants no useful purpose from Anchorage AK
September 03, 2011 - Does the definition of invasive plants include that the plant has no useful purpose? Thanks.
view the full question and answer
Student research on fire-resistance plant labels from Garden Ridge TX
November 13, 2013 - Dear Mr. Smarty Pants,
I'm a 4th grader at Garden Ridge Elementary in Comal County. I am researching fire resistant plants. Can you please tell me if most plants' tags say whether they are fire r...
view the full question and answer
Manzanita struggling in CA
March 01, 2012 - I live in Monterey, CA and I have had a manzanita (either Dr. Hurd or Mt. Hood) growing successfully in my yard for about 4 years. This fall all the leaves turned brown and brittle. I am not sure if d...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |