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?

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 - August 05, 2007

From: Mamaroneck, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Botanical name for \
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

A friend gave me a garden flower plant called "clown face". What is the botanical name and where can I get info about it?

ANSWER:

According to the Garden Detective of sacbee.com (the web page of the Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California) "Clown Face" is Mimulus x hybridus, a hybrid of M. luteus (a native of South America, but naturalized in Britain) and M. guttatus (a native of North America). (A synonym for M. x hybridus is M. tigrinus and another common name is "monkey flower".) In addition to the information from the Garden Detective of the Sacramento Bee, you can find more information about caring for M. x hybridus from the National Home Gardening Club.
 

More Plant Identification Questions

Identification of stinging plant in Central Texas
July 02, 2012 - I live on 15 acres on Nameless Road. When walking on property, occasionally my leg/ankle brushes against some plant that "stings" me. Like little needles in my skin. Doesn't last long, but becau...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
August 24, 2011 - I have searched through all the plant identifications and can not find the one I am looking for. I live 6o miles South of Rochester, NY. In my woods, I found 2 plants, that are no where else in the ...
view the full question and answer

Wild onions and garlic in Genus Allium
June 25, 2006 - My husband and I found a strange bulb like plant that when broken open it smells and tastes like strong onion or garlic. The heads are at the top of the plant though not at the root base like most wil...
view the full question and answer

Identification of plant, probably Eryngium leavenworthii (Leavenworths eryngo)
October 26, 2007 - burr like bloom shaped like small pineapple,purple in color,grows in a cluster on single stem,dries well
view the full question and answer

Need an ID on a wisteria in Austin
October 12, 2010 - I bought a different type wisteria several years ago, before I started trying to grow native plants. It is the same type wisteria as the one planted at Threadgills on Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX....
view the full question and answer

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