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
Not Yet Rated

Sunday - June 21, 2015

From: Downingtown, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Identification of plant with speckled green leaf
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I have a purple (or brown) speckled green leaf plant with tiny yellow daisy-like flowers. The leaf is fuzzy looking on the edge. Self seeds freely in my shady garden.

ANSWER:

Here are two plants native to Pennsylvania that look something like your description:

Erythronium americanum (Yellow trout-lily)

Hieracium venosum (Rattlesnake weed)

However, I think that probably your plant is not a plant native to North America.  Our focus and expertise are with plants native to North America and our database contains only native plants.  If it is not one of the plants above and you have photos of it, I suggest you visit our Plant Identification page to find links to plant identification forums that will accept photos of plants for identification.

 

From the Image Gallery


Yellow trout-lily
Erythronium americanum

Rattlesnakeweed
Hieracium venosum

Rattlesnakeweed
Hieracium venosum

More Plant Identification Questions

Plant identification, possibly chile pequin
September 17, 2008 - Found in my back yard a plant about 18 inches tall. it has tiny white 5 petal flowers and small (smaller than a pea) fuits. The fruits smell just like bell pepper. My nose itched after smelling it. ...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
July 29, 2009 - I have a plant that came up in a flower pot.I wonder if you could hep me.The plant has six leaves to a stem and the leaves close up at night
view the full question and answer

Plant identification in Keller TX
March 18, 2009 - I'm trying to i.d. a wildflower found in Keller, Tx. It is about 8 in. tall, single upright stem with narrow, slender leaves up the stem, several red blooms at top of stem about 1 inch wide, 5 petals...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
June 25, 2008 - Identification of woodland plant in a rual area ? we have bears britches and another plant simaler, but the leaves are flat and smooth, each leaf is on a seperate stalk and each plant has 3 stalk...
view the full question and answer

Name of epiphyte growing on oak trees
June 15, 2006 - Please tell me what the epiphyte growing on the oak trees is.
view the full question and answer

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