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
Saturday - November 15, 2008
From: Mont Clare, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant Identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Hi, I live in ne pa.i have always had a fasvorite wild flower with yellow flowers in the spring. the plant lasts all summer and fall til first frost. It gets small thin bean like seed pods that I save and respread..if you cut the leaf stem it has a dark orange juice that I have been told will cure warts? the leaves are thin and delicate and have several petals.it is my fav. plant but I cannot find out the name. it grows in shade/partial sun..Help!ANSWER:
Many of the plants in the Family Papaveraceae (poppy family) have yellowish or orangish sap. Chelidonium majus (greater celandine), a European native that has naturalized in Illinois,has yellow flowers, bean-like seed pods and yellow-orange sap but its leaves don't sound like your description. Plants for a Future, as well as Illinois Wildflowers, indicates that one of its medicinal usages is the removal of warts. Here are more photos.Glaucium flavum, sea poppy, another European native that occurs in Pennsylvania, is also reported to have orange sap. Here are more photos.
If neither of these are your plant, please send us photos and we will do our best to identify it. Visit the Ask Mr. Smarty Plants Plant Identification page for instructions on submitting photos.
More Plant Identification Questions
Plant Identification from Clarksville TN
May 04, 2013 - We live on a north facing wooded ridge line in Middle TN. I have a single large (6') bush that is blooming now (late April) with beautiful 6" long, end of stem clusters of small pink flowers in 3-5...
view the full question and answer
Identification of wildflowers in Wyoming
July 15, 2007 - I have taken some photos of wildflowers in Wyoming and although I have looked in several books and this website, I am still unable to identify a few. 1) very small white and lt. blue flower with 5 sep...
view the full question and answer
Need identification of a bush with red bumpy berries in PA.
October 02, 2009 - Pennsylvania - We are trying to identify a bush that has small red bumpy berries. The berries are the size of a crab apple or a cherry. Can you tell us what it is?
view the full question and answer
Identification of trees in Georgetown and Austin area from Chilton TX
April 24, 2011 - I recently visited Georgetown,Texas and the Austin, Texas area. There were many multi-trunk trees in yards and in landscaping at the hotel we stayed at. What kind of trees are these multi-trunk tr...
view the full question and answer
Identification of plant with crimson tubular flowers
June 06, 2013 - I saw this lovely flower in a field in Cleveland Tx. It was growing in a patch with maybe 4 or 5 other of the same yet only in that area. The flower is crimson red, long and tubular that grow on a woo...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |