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
2 ratings

Wednesday - October 13, 2010

From: Chardon, OH
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Native plants for Ohio with common name beginning with U, X or Z
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, Are there any plants native to Ohio or the Northeast that have common names starting with the letter "U" "X" or "Z"? I'm sewing a cross-stitch sampler using the alphabet with corresponding Ohio plants. Those 3 letters have been impossible to find flowers/names to match. (I.e. Umbrella Palm isn't native to Ohio and that's all that comes up for a search on the letter "U") Thanks.

ANSWER:

This sounds like an interesting and fun project.  I can provide you with several common names each for the letters "U" and "Z" that are native to Ohio, but, alas, I couldn't find any plants with a common name beginning with "X".   I did find one with a short botanical name beginning with "X", however, that you might consider.

For the letter "U":

Cyperus diandrus (Umbrella flatsedge) and here are photos

Magnolia tripetala (Umbrella tree)

Proboscidea louisianica (Unicorn plant)

Mirabilis nyctaginea (Heart-leaved umbrellawort)

For the letter "Z":

Zizia aurea (Golden zizia)

Zizia aptera (Meadow zizia)

 Iris brevicaulis (Zigzag iris)

Solidago flexicaulis (Zigzag goldenrod)

Tradescantia subaspera (Zigzag spiderwort)

For the letter "X":

Xyris difformis (Bog yelloweyed grass) and here are more photos and information

Here are photos from our Image Gallery:


Magnolia tripetala


Proboscidea louisianica


Mirabilis nyctaginea


Zizia aptera


Zizia aurea


Iris brevicaulis


Solidago flexicaulis


Tradescantia subaspera


Xyris difformis

 

 

More Plant Identification Questions

Smoketree not flowering in Beverly Hills CA
June 29, 2011 - Why is my Smoke tree not flowering? It is big and the leaves are beautiful but no blooms.
view the full question and answer

Summer fragrance from Naples FL
June 07, 2011 - Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Naples, Florida, there has been something that blooms in the summer. I smell this every day into the evening and it isn't a flowery fragrance, it was a li...
view the full question and answer

Identification of plant with long skinny stems and red flowers
May 07, 2008 - I keep seeing around this very pretty plant that has long skinny stems and bright red flowers that are tube like and skinny too. I would love to get this plant but do not know what it is called.
view the full question and answer

Identification of purple wildflower shaped like a bottle rocket
June 19, 2013 - Dear Smarty Plants, the other day while driving north on 281 from San Antonio I noticed a purple wildflower that was shaped sort of like a bottle rocket, seemed to have leaves similar to verbena and ...
view the full question and answer

Identity of a plant with opposite leaves in Washington
June 09, 2009 - My friend just bought a house and in the front yard are some bushes. I don't have a picture, but they are only 1-2 feet tall now. They have these unusual stems, throughout the entire bush. They are v...
view the full question and answer

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