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.
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Smarty Plants Question Topics
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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| Plant similar to a cattail June 06, 2012 I don't know where this plant grows normally, but I am looking for a plant that is similar to a cat tail, but the petals are not feathery, they are red and waxy and the petals are round almost. Plea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plant with orange sap that glows at night June 06, 2012 I was just pulling up a plant and noticed that its sap was a kind of orange then I noticed it glowing orange at night. What kind of plant is this and is it dangerous? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Is there an App for that? June 05, 2012 Do you have an app like leafsnap that my students can use to identify the plants around our school? I would like them to take a picture of the leaf of each plant with their iPads and have your data b... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant Identification June 05, 2012 I have a plant that looks like a lamb ear leaf but with a carnation flower on top. What is it? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Picture in newspaper from Austin June 02, 2012 Your gardening story for the Jan 21,2012 in the Austin American Statesman pictured a pale green bush with purple flowers, however the plant was not identified. Can you tell me what it is? Thanks View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification May 30, 2012 I had a strange plant pop up in my yard this year, and I figured maybe you guys could help me out. This plant is spreading along the ground, and the stem is woody right where it is coming out of th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of vine with 4-petaled purple flower May 30, 2012 Does anybody know what vine has a purple four petaled flower with small bulb in middle?? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Do monarchs like Cynachum laeve in Austin, TX? May 29, 2012 I have found what I believe is Honeyvine (Cynanchum laeve) growing in my yard here in Austin. I tried using the LBJWC plant data base and could not find it. I also found the plant with a diff... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of vine with green flowers May 23, 2012 Trying to identify a vine with 5-petaled ~1 cm dia green flowers (w/ barely perceptible white & black speckles). I have 3 photos I can send (showing flowers & leaves). The flower petals are almost... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of a plant that looks like a watermelon. May 21, 2012 A wild plant came up in my bed that looked like a watermelon plant. It had small yellow blooms and then marble balls formed with prickly thorns. The balls were in clusters. What kind of plant is i... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Mystery forest plant in WV May 21, 2012 In the mountains of southern WV I have several acres of shady, moist land. It has never been developed and is COVERED with a low growing fern?ground cover?whatever. It creeps along on very shallow r... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of mint impersonator in California May 20, 2012 Is there such a thing as a mint "impersonator"? There are random 'sprigs' of purple-stemmed, bright green leaf plants in my front yard. We just moved in to the house and I don't want to assume ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of rejuvenated plant May 19, 2012 I am having trouble identifying my plant which has lived at least two years now, often looking completely dead, actually hibernating for a few weeks then bursting back to life. Small sprouts that grow... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of plant resembling garlic mustard, but with purple flowers May 18, 2012 While searching for the invasive garlic mustard I am finding a very similar looking plant (triangular, alternate, toothed leaves; four petals, same habitat of shaded roadside and interior woods) excep... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Difference between Convallaria majalis and Convallaria majuscula May 17, 2012 How do you tell the difference in the native convallaria from the European species? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of vine in New York May 15, 2012 I have a flowering vine that grows against my home and I'm not sure what it is, but it's beautiful with a delicate scent. The flowers look like clusters of mini purple pea pods hanging downward befo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of bluebonnet-like flower May 14, 2012 I have discovered a plant that looks like a bluebonnet but is much larger. It has leggy stems and similar leaf structure and the bonnet in more compact with purple vs blue flowers. The plant is growin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification May 12, 2012 I don't know if they are native or not, My mom bought some plants at an event at the Dallas Convention Center that all had rocks and little dirt that they sat on. The bases of the plants were large a... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Unusual vine in San Diego County, California May 12, 2012 Dear Mr. or Ms. Smarty Pants, I came across an unusual vine winding through a young Zumaque growing off the edge of a mesa in San Diego (coastal sage scrub). The small (fingernail-sized)leaves rough... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of plant growing on deck May 12, 2012 I can't find the name of a plant that I had on my deck, it didn't come back this year. It was a bush like plant that grew wild, it bloomed May thru August with red small flowers. My deck gets full... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Rash resulting from cutting trees in NC. May 08, 2012 My boyfriend was cutting some trees yesterday. He had thorns in his hands after he was done, and today he has a rash on his legs, a fever and he feels like throwing up. Can you tell me if its symptoms... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Yellow-blossomed Shrub that Occurs in Arizona and Texas May 08, 2012 What is the name of the large shrubs you will see in Arizona with the bright yellow blossoms. They grow wild everywhere, and I also see them in the town. Could you please tell me the name of them, s... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification from Virginia May 03, 2012 We found lots of asparagus like stalks growing randomly in our field here in central Virginia. But, instead of an asparagus head it has a tight cluster of leaves that are small and roundish. Any idea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of tree in California May 02, 2012 A medium-size tree with shiny green leaves toward the bottom and garnet red ones toward the top of the tree. The leaves are narrow with saw-toothed edges. There are clustered small white flowers with ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| How Can I Tell an Invasive Thistle from a Native May 01, 2012 Mr Smarty Plants, I have some thistles coming up in my yard. I'd like to keep them if they are native, but not if they are invasive or non-native. How can I tell? My yard is a wild area in West Lak... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of shrub with brownish flowers called cinnamon bush April 25, 2012 When I lived in Vernon, CT, my neighbor had a small shrub/tree approximately 5 ft tall with small ovate slightly serrated leaves. In spring it produced reddish brown flowers that were of a hardened p... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of plant with purple flower and tomato-like fruit April 24, 2012 Along the Lake Erie shoreline in Buffalo there is a summer blooming plant with a purple flower and hard flattened tomato like fruit, diameter of a quarter. It has pretty small green leaves with fine ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of willow-like tree April 22, 2012 Hi. My daughter is trying to identify a native tree that is like a "scrub" tree here in pastures in Austin, Texas (for a school project). It sort of looks like weeping willow, but most aren't very ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of plant with cluster of bell-shaped flowers and 2 leaves April 21, 2012 In Kirtland, Ohio. Clay soil. Woodsy, moist area. Stem sticks up about 6 inches; stem is bare except for top inch, where 2 leaves and cluster of white drooping bell-like flowers appear. Ball-shaped ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Seeds of Castilleja purpurea April 12, 2012 The seed photo for Castilleja purpurea is incorrect; seeds are black and poppyseed size. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| What is the orange vine that is covering the wildflowers from Llano, TX? April 10, 2012 What is the invasive orange vine that is covering the wildflowers on Texas highways? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of blue flower April 10, 2012 I have two similar (but obviously different) wild flowers growing on my property. I have pictures of each. What email address can I use to send them to you to identify? I thought one was blue-... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dodder April 06, 2012 I was driving around Llano, Texas and saw patches of orange amongst the wildflowers. From afar the patches seemed like dying plants. On close inspection, they are orange tendrils that are overrunnin... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Dodder April 06, 2012 I have seen patches of Bluebonnets that are covered with a stringy,rubbery,orange substance that seems to be choking out the particular patch. It wraps itself around the flowers,completely covering th... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | | |
| Plant ID from Foster RI April 05, 2012 I have a weed flowering plant in bloom in a moist semi-shaded area. I would like to send a photo but I do not know how to upload. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification in Florida April 03, 2012 Hello, I have a plant that I bought at a local nursery (now closed). It only came with a label that read "Sun". The plant has many long willowy stems coming up from the ground, green saw-notched lea... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification April 02, 2012 I found a plant on a small island about the size of a hand. It is spring so plant is just coming out of the ground. It is wrapped around a bulb/flower light color with little knobs on it. The outsi... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant ID from Horseshoe Bend, TX April 01, 2012 I am trying to identify two plants - one - a flower springing up in a mint patch/Users/leehsb/Desktop/DSC_0407.JPG/Users/leehsb/Desktop/DSC_0408.JPG and the next a small bunched plant in our garden (n... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Origin of cultivar of Sophora secundiflora April 01, 2012 Howdy, Mr. Smarty Plants! I am hoping you can shed some light on the origin of my silver-leaved TX Mountain Laurel, "Silver Peso". Some nurseries refer to it as a genetic variation of Sophora secu... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Wild native trees with orange blooms March 30, 2012 What is the wild native tree that is blooming orange blooms - as you drive down the road thru Chappel Hill, and Brenham area. I've never seen these before when we went viewing bluebonnets - however,... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Lily of the Valley growing in Red River County, TX March 26, 2012 Mr. SP, I just returned from Red River County, TX where I observed Lily of the Valley growing in a very old cemetery. Is this unusual for this area of the country? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of the mass fields of yellow flowers in North Texas March 23, 2012 Are the mass fields of yellow flowers we are seeing in north Texas now likely to be Indian Mustard (brassica juncea) or Charlock (brassica kaber or sinapis arvensis)? We are teaching a wildflower ide... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identification of tree blooming in Austin with yellow balls March 21, 2012 What is the tree/large shrub that is blooming now (mid-March) in the Austin area? It has small mesquite-type leaves, round yellow balls with fuzz on them and is fragrant. Thanks! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identity of rubbery-looking tree with long green thorns March 21, 2012 I am trying to identify a tree that has a green rubbery look with long, sharp, green thorns. This tree is on my property in Conroe, TX and the soil type is Gladwater clay frequently flooded. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Identity of flowering yellow trees in Austin March 21, 2012 There are numerous flowering yellow trees in my Austin neighborhood. Are they mesquite or goldenball lead trees? They are quite fragrant, like a new bar of soap. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Plant identification March 15, 2012 There's a wildflower I can't identify. I have a picture of it and have searched many sites and can't seem to find it. Is there a way I can submit the pic to you to identify? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Plant identification March 15, 2012 My daughter took the attached picture of a plant growing along a road in Austin, TX. I've searched the database and several wildflower books and can't find the flower. Can you identify it? Thanks fo... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Removing non-native plants appearing in Austin in early spring March 14, 2012 In order to know which plants to keep and which to remove, is there a source to look up and identify common non-native plants that are seen in Austin about this time of the year (late winter, early Sp... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of daisy-like yellow flower March 12, 2012 Georgetown, TX - I have two flowers blooming in my field that I can't identify. One is strong gold and the other strong orange. I cannot identify the leaf pad. There are no leaves on the stem which... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Identification of tree with red feathery leaves March 08, 2012 What is the name of a tree with dark red leaves, feathery, slim trunk; maybe in the pepper family? Jedi? View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
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