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
Tuesday - July 17, 2012
From: Camden, TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Possible gourd vine growing in backyard in Camden, TN.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
I have a long green vine growing in my backyard. It's got green bulbs the size of kiwi on it and they're filled with white seeds. I would appreciate it if you guys could tell me what it is! Thanks!ANSWER:
It is hard to identify a plant with just a description, even if it is a good one. The clues that you gave, green vine with round fruit filled with white seeds, makes Mr. Smarty Plants think that you may have a gourd of some type.
You need someone knowledgeable to take a look at your plant, and I have two suggestions for that someone. The first is to contact the folks at Benton County Office office of UT Extension to see if they could do this. The second suggestion is to get in touch with the Tennessee Volunteer Gourd Society . From their website, they seem like friendly and helpful prople.
More Plant Identification Questions
Identification of willow-like tree
April 22, 2012 - Hi. My daughter is trying to identify a native tree that is like a "scrub" tree here in pastures in Austin, Texas (for a school project). It sort of looks like weeping willow, but most aren't very ...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
September 10, 2013 - I love around Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and I saw a strange plant. It has a soft green outer shell, a harder thinner shell inside, points, but aren't pointy, and a white substance out of the stem when...
view the full question and answer
Plant ID for that looks like lemon verbena
May 03, 2014 - I have a weed that looks a bit like Lemon Verbena with tiny purple flowers sprouting again this spring in my pasture. It seems to like sandy, acidy sunny areas and smells nice when you even brush up ...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
August 13, 2008 - Bought a plant don't know what it is or how to care for it. It looks like it's dying. Description: light to dark green, long, skinny, rounded trunk, surrounded and topped with grass like blades(top ...
view the full question and answer
Identity of the mass fields of yellow flowers in North Texas
March 23, 2012 - Are the mass fields of yellow flowers we are seeing in north Texas now likely to be Indian Mustard (brassica juncea) or Charlock (brassica kaber or sinapis arvensis)?
We are teaching a wildflower ide...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |