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

Thursday - December 01, 2011

From: Sunny Isles Beach, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification, Vines
Title: Florida hanging vine with occasional red tongue-like leaves
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I live in south Florida and I used to grow a hanging vine that had green slender leaves and an occasional red leaf that looked like a tongue that protruded horizontally from the plant. do you know what the plant is?

ANSWER:

Our focus and expertise here at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is with plants that are native to North America.  You can search in our Native Plant Database for a native vine that looks like your description by doing a COMBINATION SEARCH choosing "Florida" in the Select State or Province slot and "Vine" in Habit (general appearance).  This will give you a list (with photos) of more than 70 vines native to Florida.  Looking through the list I didn't find a vine that matched your description but you should try the search yourself to see if you find one.

South Florida is home to many introduced tropical plants so my guess is that your vine is one of those.  You can look through the following sites to see if you recognize your vine.  Some of these pages include both native and introduced vines.

If you don't find your vine in one of the databases above and you have a photograph of it, you can visit our Plant Identification page to find a links to plant identification forums that accept photos for identification.

 

More Plant Identification Questions

Plant identification
May 12, 2012 - I don't know if they are native or not, My mom bought some plants at an event at the Dallas Convention Center that all had rocks and little dirt that they sat on. The bases of the plants were large a...
view the full question and answer

Identification of colicroot and yellow colic-root
March 23, 2005 - There is a green flowering bush with yellow blooms off Taylor road in Dale, Texas (Caldwell County). What type of wildflower or weed is this? Could it possibly be Yellow Colic Root?
view the full question and answer

Identification of perennial with dark red/purple flowers
November 17, 2011 - Need to identify a lovely perennial here in Norfolk, Virginia. It reseeds itself, spreads, and lingers into the late fall. It has rather thick, dark green, alternate spatulate leaves at the base wit...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
April 16, 2009 - There is a plant growing on the side of the road near my home. The stalk of it is thistle like with many prickles. The flower on it is white and has 6 petals.
view the full question and answer

Identification of tree with fuschia berries in Pennsylvania
October 26, 2008 - Northeastern Pennsylvania tree with fuschia berries in autumn. Found one in woods,never saw one before.
view the full question and answer

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