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

Friday - April 22, 2005
From: cincinnati, OH
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Keys for identification of native plants in Ohio
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Do you know of any good web sites that provide keys for the identification of native plants? I'm conducting a wetland plant inventory in southwestern Ohio.ANSWER:
North Carolina State University has a web site Wetland Plant Identification with dichotomous keys for woody vines, parallel-veined plants, gymnosperms, and trees and shrubs. The web page also offers the option to search by plant characterisitics such as leaf arrangement, leaf structure, axillary bud type, etc.From the Univeristy of Wisconsin Herbarium at the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity there is a web page, Wetland Plants of Wisconsin, with pictures of leaves, flowers, fruiting heads and more for approximately 110 common wetland species.
From Washington State Department of Ecology there is An On-Line Version of an Aquatic Plant Identification Manual for Washington's Freshwater Plants.
There is a sample of an interactive software program to purchase for PCs using Windows 95 or higher to help in identifying 1,000 Weeds of North America
The University of Florida has a web page Aquatic and Wetland Plants and Invasive Plants with photographs and descriptions that can be searched by scientific name, common name or plant type category (grasses, ferns, sedges, rushes, etc.).
Virginia Tech has a Weed Identification Guide with a Grass Weed Identification Key.
Recommended available print sources are Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin from the Army Core of Engineers, A Great Lakes Wetland Flora for a field guide to vascular plants of the wetlands of the Upper Midwest, and Aquatic Plant Identification Cards from the University of Florida.
More Plant Identification Questions
Identification of plant from wildflower mix in Radcliff KY
June 17, 2010 - I bought a wildflower mixture from local store; after planting, there is a 2 ft bush or plant with flowers that are yellow, and small like those on a cantaloupe, leaves that look like a watermelon, bu...
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
Drummonds wild onion growing along creek in St. Edwards Park
April 17, 2006 - I live near St Edwards Park in Austin and was wondering what the name of the onion is that grows along the creek. Thanks
view the full question and answer
Identity of a plant with opposite leaves in Washington
June 09, 2009 - My friend just bought a house and in the front yard are some bushes. I don't have a picture, but they are only 1-2 feet tall now. They have these unusual stems, throughout the entire bush. They are v...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
September 21, 2010 - Dear Mr. Smarty Pants,
Hopefully you can help identify the following plant. I've had a bush type of weed growing near my hay feeder for the cows this year that's about 2' tall has massive spikes o...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |