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
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Friday - June 29, 2012
From: Lewiston, MI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Identity of a pink-flowering bush with flowers like sweet peas
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have found a pink flowering small tree / bush that has picky branches kind of looks like sweet pea flowers and the leaves kind of look like shumac. Growing near the thick woods of northern MIANSWER:
To look for your the bush you saw I did a COMBINATION SEARCH in our Native Plant Database, choosing "Michigan" from Select State or Province, "Shrub" from Habit (general appearance) and "Pink" from Bloom Color. I also did another COMBINATION SEARCH in which I substituted "Tree" for "Shrub".
Robinia hispida (Bristly locust) is the plant that best fits your description. Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud) also has pink flowers that look like sweetpea flowers, but the leaves are wrong and it isn't prickly.
You should try for yourself the COMBINATION SEARCHES described above to see if any of the results look more like your plant than the ones I selected.
If the Bristly locust isn't your plant and you have photos of it, please visit our Plant Identification page to find links to several plant identification forums that accept photos of plants to identify.
From the Image Gallery
More Plant Identification Questions
Plant ID from Foster RI
April 05, 2012 - I have a weed flowering plant in bloom in a moist semi-shaded area. I would like to send a photo but I do not know how to upload.
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
April 16, 2010 - No pictures only memory. It looks like a dried flower and grows with other wildflowers along roadside. It is mostly purple or blue purple and sometimes called statis.
Stems favor dandelions, only t...
view the full question and answer
What are the cone shaped evergreens around Pilot Point, TX?
January 26, 2016 - What are the cone shaped evergreens around Pilot Point, Texas called? They are dark green with spiky leaves and rough bark. I have a row planted as a windscreen and want to transplant a couple from a ...
view the full question and answer
Orange-flowered bush on Wildflower Center grounds
April 19, 2015 - What is the orange colored bush like Sphaeralcea blooming right now. It is in one of the planted gardens. I could find no name plate.
view the full question and answer
Identity of red raspberry-like berries in Connecticut
July 28, 2008 - I found some edible berries today in the woods that look like raspberries, are red like raspberries, but don't taste like them at all. They're very shiny red, remove easily from the bush. The flavor...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |