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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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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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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.

 
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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.
 

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