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
Wednesday - July 16, 2014
From: Morgantown , WV
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Invasive Plants, Non-Natives, Shrubs
Title: Japanese Wineberry in Maryland
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
Hello, we were at Cunningham Falls in Maryland and I can not identify this plant. If you could I would greatly appreciate it, thank you. It looks like a raspberry but the berries are inside small leaves with red fuzzy hairs. When the berry is picked it leaves behind an orangish-yellow star shape. The canes are red and fuzzy and the leaves are in groups of three and a medium green, shaped like a more rounded raspberry leaf. Thanks for your time.ANSWER:
The plant that you found is Rubus phoenicolasius, the Japanese wineberry. Wikipedia says that the Japanese wineberry is native to northern China, Japan and Korea and was introduced to Europe and North America for its potential in breeding hybrid raspberries. It has subsequently escaped cultivation and has become naturalized and is sometime invasive in parts of Europe and eastern North America.
The National Parks Service has a good webpage on the Wineberry with images that will help you confirm your identification.
More Invasive Plants Questions
How do you get rid of Mexican Petunia?
July 21, 2009 - How do you get rid of Mexican Petunia?
view the full question and answer
Is Yaupon Invasive in the Austin Area?
March 24, 2011 - Is Yaupon Holly invasive in the Austin area? Should we be removing it from our yards and/or greenbelt spaces?
Thanks for your input!
view the full question and answer
What is wrong with cultivars of native plants?
May 26, 2009 - What is wrong with cultivars of native plants? My state native plant society won't allow cultivars at their annual sale, and the native plant nursery from which I order only offers the species. But a...
view the full question and answer
Japanese honeysuckle invading a backyard habitat in Austin
April 29, 2010 - It has been a few weeks since we have been to our backyard (it is a place in need of desperate attention, but we have been re-landscaping the front yard first). When we went out today to start plannin...
view the full question and answer
Is Early May OK for Roguing Bastard Cabbage?
March 28, 2013 - Hi Smarty:)
I'm trying to determine the window for seed set for bastard cabbage. I'm hoping to get about 250 volunteers out to remove it but the date is schedule in early May. Judging by the infl...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |