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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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Wednesday - September 01, 2010

From: Bon Aqua , TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Need Plant Identification from Bon Aqua, Tennessee?
Answered by: Marilyn Kircus

QUESTION:

By a creek, I found a plant that I have never seen in my life. It has a tall stalk and has leaves like a weed or grass, and the flower looks like a pine tree. The plant looks like a mix of a grass, a weed, and a pine tree.. I have photographs. Is this a rare plant?

ANSWER:

It's great that you have photographs of this plant.  We love identifying native plants. Please send us an e-mail, following the instructions below:

  1. Tell us where and when you found the plant and describe the site where it occurred.
  2. If possible, take several high-resolution images including details of leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, and the overall plant.
  3. Save images in JPEG format. Do not reduce the resolution of your images. High-resolution images are much easier for us to work with.
  4. Send email with images attached to [email protected]. Please enter Plant ID Request on the subject line of your email.

If  your plant turns out to be non-native, you might consider visiting the UBC Botanical Gardens Forums website.

 

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