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.

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Tuesday - May 20, 2008

From: Gilbertsville, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Wildflower in southeastern Pennsylvania
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I live in southeastern Pennsylvania and want to identify a wild flower that is common along small town and rural roads and highways. It is blooming now (Mid May), has a flower spike similar to a larkspur; primary color is light blue but also has white and pale blue flowers; height is about 18 24 inches.

ANSWER:

We searched our Native Plant Database for flowers with a spike, white and blue, native to Pennsylvania and blooming in May or June. We found a list of four: we're rooting for it to be Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine), a relative of our Texas state flower, Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet. However, if it's none of the flowers we found, go to the Mr. Smarty Plants page on our website, look under "Plant Identification" in the lower right hand portion of the webpage, and get instructions for sending us a picture.

Delphinium tricorne (dwarf larkspur)

Gentianopsis virgata (lesser fringed gentian)

Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine)

Scutellaria serrata (showy skullcap)

Delphinium tricorne

Gentianopsis virgata

Lupinus perennis