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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Wednesday - August 13, 2008
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Can you identify a shrub in my backyard? It has odd looking seed pods with three chambers and hard black seeds inside roughly 1/8" in diameter. The pods themselves are brown, hard shell, and hang down, splitting at the bottom to drop seeds. I can email a photo if helpful. Thanks!ANSWER:
This sounds like Ungnadia speciosa (Mexican buckeye) except for the size of the seeds. In Mexican buckeye the seeds are ± 1/2 inch in diameter. If this isn't what you have in your backyard. Please send us photos showing the whole plant and a closeup of the seeds and of the leaves. Visit the Ask Mr. Smarty Plants page to read the instructions (under "Plant Identification") for submitting photos.
More Plant Identification Questions
Plant ID by pictures from Boise ID
May 01, 2014 - DEAR WILDFLOWER CENTER, TOOK SOME PICTURES A WEEK AGO--THE BOISE BOTANICAL GARDEN IDENTIFIED THE HENBIT BUT COULDN'T IDENTIFY THE REDDISH CYLINDRICAL FLOWERS IN PHOTO #4--CAN YOU HELP?
YOU CAN FIND...
view the full question and answer
Identification of low growing plants with flowers that resemble a bunch of grapes in Graford, TX
February 10, 2011 - I am in northwest TX and I would like to know the name of the early blooming, very low growing plant that has a single bloom on a bare stem--it is dark crimson and the blooms looks like a bunch of gra...
view the full question and answer
Vine with wine-colored flowers in Washington County, TX
April 04, 2014 - I'm trying to identify a deep purple wine colored flowering vine in Washington County, Texas. It looks very similar to Texas wisteria, but it is something else. I've seen them growing in vineyards...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification, orange honeysuckle
December 14, 2009 - I have two potted trees in my yard. They have honeysuckle-shaped, orange flowers that bloom year long and the leaves also resemble those of honeysuckle. There were no identification tags on them whe...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
May 12, 2012 - I don't know if they are native or not, My mom bought some plants at an event at the Dallas Convention Center that all had rocks and little dirt that they sat on. The bases of the plants were large a...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |