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 - November 29, 2015

From: Buda, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: ID for two flowers blooming in November in Buda TX
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

two different plants growing in my wild area. 1. springs of tiny yellow flowers atop almost foot tall woody stem. 2. Clump of tiny near white bud like flowers. clump about 6 to 8 inches across on single short stem. leaves dark green with deep cut edges I will forward pic from this same email address.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants thinks the description of your first plant sound like Amphiachyris dracunculoides (Prairie broomweed).

The description of the second plant, however, is a little confusing.  I'm not sure how large the overall plant is.  However, here are some suggestions of plants with small white flowers that are in bunches and bloom in October and November:

Stenaria nigricans var. nigricans (Diamondflowers or Baby's breath)

Ageratina havanensis (Shrubby boneset)

Eupatorium rotundifolium (Roundleaf thoroughwort)

Eupatorium serotinum (Lateflowering thoroughwort)

If none of these are the flowers you saw, you can do your own search in our Native Plant Database.  Using the COMBINATION SEARCH option, choose "Texas" from the Select State or Province slot; then, under Bloom Characteristics, select "Oct" and "Nov" under Bloom Time and "White" under Bloom Color.  This will give you a list of more than 260 plants.  You can narrow that list by making other appropriate criteria choices from the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option in the sidebar.

 

 

From the Image Gallery


Prairie broomweed
Amphiachyris dracunculoides

Prairie broomweed
Amphiachyris dracunculoides

Diamondflowers
Stenaria nigricans var. nigricans

Shrubby boneset
Ageratina havanensis

White boneset
Eupatorium serotinum

White boneset
Eupatorium serotinum

More Plant Identification Questions

Wild cranberries in Pennsylvania
September 27, 2013 - Where are wild cranberries located in northwest PA, near Brookville?
view the full question and answer

Identification of orange hydrangea-like flower
April 19, 2008 - I am trying to identify a tree...It is a tree like bush if that makes any sense...It has tree limbs and it is bushy like a bush...I thought it might be a hydrangea bush that grows straight up instead ...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
July 28, 2012 - I have a plant that looks like a suculent tree with a canopy like an umbrella. It grows every summer & is no more than 5 ft tall. It has tiny spines on it's trunk, which has white spots on it. the en...
view the full question and answer

Plant ID–maybe a lupine?
February 02, 2015 - We have a strange plant growing in our flowerbed that we did not knowingly plant. It sprang up last summer and has continued to grow throughout the winter in spite of several freezes. We live just eas...
view the full question and answer

Identification of ivy-like plant with large purplish leaves.
March 27, 2015 - Can you ID this ivy-like growing plant with a big purplish elephant ear type leaf and a big green stem pouch?
view the full question and answer

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