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.

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Sunday - April 04, 2010

From: Round Rock, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Just blooming out here in the Austin metro is a square-budded yellow 'daisy' with puffy center. Very like a Huisache Daisy, but the margins aren't so toothed. It's VERY common in the Austin greenspaces (today's spotted along the Brushy Creek trail)(and, no, NOT a coreopsis). I could probably send you my picture and you'd say, "Oh, that's.." but there are SO MANY yellow composites that I'm at the point of labeling it: just another yellow composite. But they're so common here, I'd like to know what they are, really. Thanks!

ANSWER:

Well, there is Tetraneuris scaposa (stemmy four-nerve daisy); but, as you say, there are SO MANY yellow composites—so why don't you send us photos. Please visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page to read the instructions for submitting photos. Please be sure you include close ups of leaves and stem, and a photo of the entire plant, as well as close ups of the blooms.