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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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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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!

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Saturday - July 24, 2010

From: Kingsland, GA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Purchased foliage plant - no one knows its name. Leaves (stems) are bright green and 10" tall. Has "babies" like a spider plant but leaves (stems) are wider and thicker. Has a "rib" to them in the center of the stem.

ANSWER:

Our focus and expertise at the Wildflower Center are with plants native to North America. A purchased foliage plant that has babies that look like a spider plant doesn't sound like any North American native plant that I can think of. If you really think it is a North American native, you can send us photos and we will do our very best to identify it. Please visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page for instructions on submitting photos. Otherwise, your best bet for having your plant identified is to submit photos to the UBC Botanical Garden Plant Identification Forum. They do an excellent job identifying non-native plants.

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Saturday - July 24, 2010

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