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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Thursday - February 10, 2011

From: Graford, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Identification of low growing plants with flowers that resemble a bunch of grapes in Graford, TX
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

I am in northwest TX and I would like to know the name of the early blooming, very low growing plant that has a single bloom on a bare stem--it is dark crimson and the blooms looks like a bunch of grapes. It blooms about the same time that the lily of the valley blooms.

ANSWER:

A little searching based on your description leads to the genus Muscari, sometimes called Grape Hyacinth. This is a genus introduced from Eurasia, and as such falls outside our area of focus which is to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes.

I've included a couple of links to help you determine the name of the plant that you have, and to learn about its care.

Theplantexpert.com

Pacifficbulbsociety.org