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
Sunday - June 21, 2015
From: Orleans, LA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification, Vines
Title: Vine with 5 pointed deep lobed leaves and small white flowers
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I recently happened upon a very peculiar vine. It has 5 pointed very deep lobed leaves, that are semi hairy on both the top and bottom with small white flowers that emerge from the same part of the stem as the leaves. I've never seen anything like it.ANSWER:
This sounds a bit like Vitis mustangensis (Mustang grape). Its leaves can have a variable shape but certainly some of them have 5 five deeply lobed parts and they do have hairs on both surfaces, especially the bottom. Here are more photos from The University of Texas and from USDA Plants Database.
Here are other possibilities:
Humulus japonicus (Japanese hops) is an invasive vine from Asia. Here are more photos and information from Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide.
Cayaponia quinqueloba (Melon-leaf cucumber) is native and here are more photos from Native & Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas & Georgia and the USDA Plants Database.
If none of these are the plant you found and you have photos, please visit our Plant Identification page to find links to plant identification forums that will accept photos of plants for identification.
From the Image Gallery
More Plant Identification Questions
Information about native aconitum
February 27, 2008 - There was a picture of a plant in our local newspaper this past week. In the photo ID they called this plant an aconite, a member of the buttercup family. My questions are: is there such a plant? is i...
view the full question and answer
Identification of fragrant, white-flowered bush in Arizona
April 14, 2013 - I'd like to identify a flowering bush which has white sweet-smelling flowers.
It is growing in the Coconino National Forest in the area near the Airport vortex/Airport mesa in Sedona, Arizona.
...
view the full question and answer
Identification of vine with hair-like prickles
January 04, 2013 - Trying to find out what kind of vine I ran into yesterday while climbing a deer stand. While pushing limbs and vines down from around me, I noticed hair-like thorns stuck in my sleeves and hands. This...
view the full question and answer
Identification of tiny blue flower blooming in February
March 18, 2013 - There is a very small four petal flower that appears near the end of Winter. (This year they appeared in late Feb).
These little flowers are a "Light Blueish" hue. They are around a quarter inch ac...
view the full question and answer
List of plants with
January 30, 2007 - Hello, Mr. Smarty Plants, I would like a list of all the plants which have been named for Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer. I would like to prepare this information for use at the Washington on the Brazos,...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |