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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
rate this answer
Thursday - June 10, 2010
From: Los Angeles, CA
Region: California
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have a tall leafy green plant growing in my garden. It has long flowering limbs that bear a pod that looks like a tiny green pepper. It then turns purple and falls off. The flower that remains is tiny with a magenta hue. I have no idea what it is. Can you help?ANSWER:
Well, Mr. Smarty Plants loves to identify native plants; but it is difficult, if not impossible, to do with a description alone. If you think it might be a North American native plant (our specialty), please send us photos and we will do our best to identify it for you. Visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page to read the instructions for submitting photos. If you suspect that it is NOT a North American native plant (not our specialty), you would be better off submitting your photos to the Plant Identification Forum on the UBC Botanical Garden site.
More Plant Identification Questions
Which one is huajillo and which one is guajillo?
November 19, 2013 - Recently I attended a field trip to the Leonard Garden at the Kleberg Institute in Kingsville. I took a picture of a tree that was referred to as Tenaza or huajillo. Later I took another photo of a ...
view the full question and answer
Identification of shrub with pink catalpa-like flowers
July 31, 2013 - Ironically, this plant is growing on a hill behind a nursery. We are all curious what it could be..I've done internet searches for 2 days. My best guess is that it's in the catalpa family, but it's...
view the full question and answer
Identification of shrub with red berries in Tennessee
January 24, 2014 - Hello,
I've got a shrub in my backyard; it has leaves off in groups of 3 and it has multiple reddish berries in groups by the dozens. I'm not sure what plant it is. The shrub is stick-like and appr...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
October 10, 2009 - I am trying to name a pink fall blooming wildflower. It is growing in a ditch and has several blooms on a stalk about 4' tall.
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
February 20, 2014 - I'm not sure of county of origin. It was given to me by someone I no longer have contact with. When I initially received it I thought it was just a small potted vine of some type. I've had it a yea...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |