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

Sunday - October 25, 2009

From: Saddle River, NJ
Region: Northeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Deer are devastating understory in our woods. We have a highly resistant shrub purchased years ago at the state arboretum plant sale. It is about 5-6' tall, somewhat wider than that, many suckers/offshoots surrounding the parent shrub. It has simple, opposite finely and unevenly toothed leaves, prominent veins, particularly on the underside (about 8 big ones and then several small ones merging together at the end of the leaf.) Distinctive fruit - a 3 berried cluster only at the end of the stalk, each berry 1/4 in., currently with dried blue/black covering with a single seed inside. The seed is lt. beige/tan with "scaling" covering patterened a bit like overlaping in a pine cone. Fruit has 3 dried, open bracts behind the cluster. Plant has good sized white flowers about late May. To some extent, leaf is kind of like an arrow wood viburnum but not as rounded. It still is bright green while most other leaves are turning here in northern NJ. I work with a volunteer organization which is promoting deer-resistant plantings and want to propagate and distribute this shrub. What should I say it is ??

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants thinks this sounds like a fascinating plant, but I don't think we are going to be able to identify it without some photos.  Please read the instructions on Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page for submitting photos.  Please send several high-resolution photos in good focus illustrating the features you mention above.
 

More Plant Identification Questions

Identification of wildflower in Illinois
April 03, 2008 - I have a similar question to the one asking about the blue/lilac wildflower in Illinois. Every year here in IL a blue, stragly, petal-ed flower/weed blooms - particularly along the edge of curbs alon...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
August 06, 2008 - Mr. Smarty Plants, I have some plants I cannot identify. They were given to me after a funeral. I love them, i would like to know WHAT THEY ARE??? Here are descriptions. I can get photos. (PS I liv...
view the full question and answer

Nomenclatural puzzles
March 25, 2008 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants. I have been looking all day for this information. I am look for a plant that is in the genus Cucumis but not in the family Cucurbitacea. A plant that is in the family Cucurbit...
view the full question and answer

Tall lily with dark berry at leaf attachment
June 25, 2012 - A lily showed up in my flower garden last year (central Illinois); about 3' tall, a single dark berry at the stem where each leaf is attached. It didn't flower. This year it's approaching 4' tall ...
view the full question and answer

Origin of thorned plant-like object falling from the sky
September 01, 2011 - This morning while walking I felt a prick on my arm, like something had bitten me. I looked and saw what appeared to be a very tiny little plant with a thorn on it sticking out of my arm. I pulled i...
view the full question and answer

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