Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

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.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

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!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
2 ratings

Wednesday - October 13, 2010

From: Chardon, OH
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Native plants for Ohio with common name beginning with U, X or Z
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, Are there any plants native to Ohio or the Northeast that have common names starting with the letter "U" "X" or "Z"? I'm sewing a cross-stitch sampler using the alphabet with corresponding Ohio plants. Those 3 letters have been impossible to find flowers/names to match. (I.e. Umbrella Palm isn't native to Ohio and that's all that comes up for a search on the letter "U") Thanks.

ANSWER:

This sounds like an interesting and fun project.  I can provide you with several common names each for the letters "U" and "Z" that are native to Ohio, but, alas, I couldn't find any plants with a common name beginning with "X".   I did find one with a short botanical name beginning with "X", however, that you might consider.

For the letter "U":

Cyperus diandrus (Umbrella flatsedge) and here are photos

Magnolia tripetala (Umbrella tree)

Proboscidea louisianica (Unicorn plant)

Mirabilis nyctaginea (Heart-leaved umbrellawort)

For the letter "Z":

Zizia aurea (Golden zizia)

Zizia aptera (Meadow zizia)

 Iris brevicaulis (Zigzag iris)

Solidago flexicaulis (Zigzag goldenrod)

Tradescantia subaspera (Zigzag spiderwort)

For the letter "X":

Xyris difformis (Bog yelloweyed grass) and here are more photos and information

Here are photos from our Image Gallery:


Magnolia tripetala


Proboscidea louisianica


Mirabilis nyctaginea


Zizia aptera


Zizia aurea


Iris brevicaulis


Solidago flexicaulis


Tradescantia subaspera


Xyris difformis

 

 

More Plant Identification Questions

plant identification, Portulaca pilosa, Kiss-me-quick
October 02, 2007 - There is a small plant with clusters of red-purple flowers and tubular succulent leaves on branching stems I found in the flower boxes at the top of the look-out tower there at the center. I forgot to...
view the full question and answer

Identification of a cucumber-like vine with fruit
November 16, 2011 - We found tiny, grape-size white melon-like fruit on a vine, with tomato-like/cucumber-like seeds. The leaves on the vine were similar to grape or cucumber leaves, but not spiny. They were behind our...
view the full question and answer

Identity of 50 ft. tree
May 20, 2008 - I live in Austin and I have a tall (50-ft) tree outside my window. It's deciduous and has shiny, deep green, spear-tip, serrated leaves that vary in size from about hand- to dinner-plate size. I've ...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
November 14, 2008 - On our farm we found a plant that we had never seen before. It has long stems coming from center ground level and is about 3 feet tall, looks like a fern from far off. The leaves (length of finger) ...
view the full question and answer

Identification of plant with red beans Catalina Mts., Arizona
February 05, 2013 - While hiking at the base of the Catalina Mts. near Tucson in Jan., I came across a plant, the pods of which were open, displaying a bright red bean. I took some of the beans to plant in my yard. I was...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.