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
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - July 27, 2009
From: Canyon , TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identfication
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
My wife and I have our first summer garden at our new home in the Panhandle of Texas. Included within our crop are several alien large, broad stalk, broad leaved plants with an extremely pungent, offensive odor (like flesh), large furry crescent shaped beans that are broad, then end narrow (like a elf booty), and lastly, numerous bell-shaped white flowers. What are these heary plants? Perhaps they are risidual plants from an old crop that existed on the land our neighborhood is zoned?ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants loves to identify plants, but it is very difficult if not impossible to do so from a description alone. Please send us photos and we will do our very best to identify your mystery plant. Visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page to read instructions for submitting photos for identification.More Plant Identification Questions
Identity of large, sunflower-like plant
November 13, 2011 - We are trying to figure out the identity of a large, sunflower-like plant. It is a perennial that sends out approximately 10-12 stalks about 10 feet high. It then starts to bloom with small sunflowe...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification request from Wales, United Kingdom
November 17, 2011 - I have a plant that has green and pink leaves and the flowers are dry but are like fingers on a hand. The leaves drop down when it needs watering, which is every other day, and the finger shaped clust...
view the full question and answer
Care of non-native plant
March 17, 2016 - I have a plant that grows about 1' tall, looks sort of like a dracaena. The leaves grow off of a short stem and are yellowish (no green at all) with brilliant slashes of hot pink an red. It is georg...
view the full question and answer
Plant Identification
October 23, 2008 - We live near Milwaukee Wisconsin. This summer a 5' plant grew by itself in the middle of my flower bed. It has elongated oval green leaves, but its the flowers that are exceptional. They are long,...
view the full question and answer
Possible identification of Hydrocotyle bonariensis
July 01, 2007 - I went to Pedra Island two years ago I saw a plant that grew around the beach. It has a perfectly round leaf that has the stem in the middle of the back side of the leaf. It has small yellow flowers. ...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |