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
Not Yet Rated

Saturday - March 05, 2011

From: Pleasanton, CA
Region: California
Topic: Herbs/Forbs
Title: Care for Monardella undulata var. frutescens from Pleasanton CA
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Inquiry about care of the plant Monardella undulata var frutescens "Jokerst." Full Sun? Soil? etc Thanks, Smarty!

ANSWER:

You nearly had Mr. Smarty Plants stumped there. There are 9 species of Monardella listed in our Native Plant Database; this is not one of them. We did find one article from Annie's Annuals Monardella undulata var. frutescens, which answers some of your questions. Since we found no mention of a selection 'Jokerst,' we tried searching on that name alone. This website on the Jim Jokerst Field Botany Award, named after a field botanist in California, is about the best clue we could find on where that name came from.  The first website we referenced says it has been considered a rare plant in California since 1997, and we would have no idea where you could obtain them, if you were interested in growing them.

 

More Herbs/Forbs Questions

Native plants for morning sun in Pembroke MA
October 07, 2009 - Could you please suggest native groundcover,plants/shrubs/grasses for eastern facing slope which gets morning sun? It is my front yard which slopes down toward driveway so it would be a major focal po...
view the full question and answer

Plants under Oak Trees in Austin TX
December 10, 2012 - Half of my small yard is in the shade of one big live oak and one kumquat. Nothing I plant grows in this shade. The other half of my yard gets sunlight. It is planted with Jasmine grass which grows w...
view the full question and answer

Do monarchs like Cynachum laeve in Austin, TX?
May 29, 2012 - I have found what I believe is Honeyvine (Cynanchum laeve) growing in my yard here in Austin. I tried using the LBJWC plant data base and could not find it. I also found the plant with a diff...
view the full question and answer

Use of non-native pothos for outside wall from Las Vegas NV
January 05, 2014 - I am in Las Vegas, NV. I live in a cottage-style apartment so I have a north facing porch with no one on the west so I get some there (and have an inherited cactus probably a yard all round) I would ...
view the full question and answer

Texas natives that attract butterflies but not deer
December 13, 2012 - I'd like to have some plants in my garden that are butterfly attractors, but that whitetail deer won't like. I can find lists of butterfly plants, and lists of deer-resistant plants -- is there a li...
view the full question and answer

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