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?

Share

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

Wednesday - April 01, 2009

From: Santa Rosa, CA
Region: California
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant Identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I have small shiny red berries growing on a tropical appearing shrub with green and marled yellow leaves. The leaves have widely serrated edges. The berries have a large seed inside and very little flesh.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants loves doing plant identifications; however, doing them from a description alone is difficult, if  not impossible, no matter how thorough the description.  Please send us photos and we will do our very best to identify your plant.  Visit the Ask Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page to read instructions for submitting photos for identification.
 

More Plant Identification Questions

Removing non-native plants appearing in Austin in early spring
March 14, 2012 - In order to know which plants to keep and which to remove, is there a source to look up and identify common non-native plants that are seen in Austin about this time of the year (late winter, early Sp...
view the full question and answer

Identification of all-white small plants growing in the woods in Belmont, MA.
July 21, 2009 - I have just seen a group of completely ALL-WHITE small plants growing in the woods. They have 4-8in. stalks with a kind of bell-shaped flower growing at the top. There is no green anywhere on this pla...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
June 17, 2011 - There is a sweet pea like vine that grows along the road in NC. IT is pink and looks much like a sweet pea. What is it?
view the full question and answer

Tentative identification of Viola sagittata
June 23, 2007 - I am trying to find name of wildflower, Violet growing in adjoning woods. I have not been able to find it on internet. The non-basal leaves are very irregular in shape, grow to six inches, no two ali...
view the full question and answer

Identification of plant growing with purchased plant
September 23, 2013 - I purchased a heurchera and there was another plant that was growing in the pot with it. I planted both together in my garden. The "other" plant is growing and none of the gardeners around here has ...
view the full question and answer

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