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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Thursday - July 30, 2009
From: Nashville , TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Ferns
Title: Identity of a fern-like plant in Nashville TN.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
There is a fern like plant that is growing in partial sun in my front yard. It closes and opens with the sun. Its leaves are lacy and long; so far no flowers. I have pictures but not for this format. This is just one of many plants I'm trying to put names to in my new yard!ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants has found that it is difficult if not impossible to identify plants from a written description. However, I can tell you that if your plant is a fern, it will not have flowers. This article from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will tell you a lot about ferns.
My suggestion is to have one of your friends who has a digital camera take a picture of the plant and send it to us.
Be sure to follow the directions on the Plant Identification page for taking and sending the images. A picture is worth a thousand words.
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