Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

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Sunday - October 16, 2005

From: Round Rock, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: General Botany, Plant Identification
Title: Smarty Plants on forbs
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

What kind of plant is a forb? I see the term used frequently in reference to grasses (I think), but I can't figure out exactly what a forb is.

ANSWER:

A forb is any herbaceous (non-woody) flowering plant that is not a grass or grass-like (sedges or rushes). The term is usually used in reference to those plants growing with grasses in fields, meadows or prairies. Some examples of forbs are dandelions, clover, bluebonnets, columbines, milkweeds, larkspurs, phlox and many, many more.

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