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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

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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Sunday - August 07, 2005

From: Tehachapi, CA
Region: California
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Smarty Plants on Jimsonweed
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

White flowers that are seen a lot along hwy 58 east towards Tehachapi; they look like "angel's trumpet" but not sure... they are big, white and have dark green leaves and cluster in a bush..any ideas?

ANSWER:

Angel trumpet or Jimsonweed Datura wrightii fits your description, is native to California, and should be in bloom now. Here are more photographs in the Wildflowers of Southern California database from California Lutheran University and still more in CalPhotos from University of California Berkeley Digital Library Project.

If you would like confirmation you can send us a photo. Please follow the instructions in the bottom righthand corner of the Ask the Expert page for submitting photographs.
 

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