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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Friday - April 18, 2014

From: Cocoa, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant ID from Cocoa FL
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I am trying to identify a plant that looks like a rose bush. It has rose-like thorns. The leaves are green, slender, acute at the tip, slightly unequal at the base and the leaf stem grows closer to one side. The leaves also grow opposite on the stem which is smooth and a lighter green color with many small brown spots. The leaf has small brown bumps that look like a stitch pattern along the stem and at the edges where it is slightly jagged. A few of the leaves have a single thorn growing out of the leaf stem. New leaves and shoots have a fern look to them. I don't know if it flowers.

ANSWER: