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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - March 08, 2012
From: Los Angeles, CA
Region: California
Topic: Non-Natives, Plant Identification, Trees
Title: Identification of tree with red feathery leaves
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
What is the name of a tree with dark red leaves, feathery, slim trunk; maybe in the pepper family? Jedi?ANSWER:
Our focus and expertise here at the Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center are with plants native to North America. I could find only one native California tree that sounds anything like your description. It is Rhus glabra (Smooth sumac) that has feathery green leaves that turn red in the fall. Your description, however, does sound a bit like the non-native Acer palmaturm (Japanese maple) that grows readily in California. Here are more photographs of the Japanese maple. There is the South American native, Schinus molle (Brazilian or Peruvian peppertree), that has feathery green leaves and red berries. It is on the California Invasive Plant Council's list of invasive plants. If you have photos of the tree (or can take them), there are links to several plant identification forums on our Plant Identification page that accept photos for identification.
From the Image Gallery
More Plant Identification Questions
Identification of tree along Austin highways
April 01, 2011 - I am trying to identify a large tree seen along many Austin Highways. The best ID can find is Western Soapberry, but the articles all specify white blooms. The trees I see have purple clusters of bloo...
view the full question and answer
Sending a picture of an oak from Yorktown TX
December 02, 2011 - How I can I send a pic of my oak in Yorktown near Cuero?
view the full question and answer
Diamonds and Rubies plant (Lychnis coronaria)
May 02, 2007 - I recently purchased a plant from the Huntsville, AL Botanical Gardens at their annual plant sale. The name on the plant tag is "Rubies and Diamonds". No one at the Botanical Garden knew the scien...
view the full question and answer
Weird-looking rootless plant, perhaps a fungus
August 23, 2008 - While out it my backyard (i.e. the Black Hills of South Dakota), I spotted a weird-looking rootless plant (I think it may be a fungus) growing beneath the Ponderosa Pines. It was the only one in the a...
view the full question and answer
Native plants for Ohio with common name beginning with U, X or Z
October 13, 2010 - 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 ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |