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
Wednesday - March 13, 2013
From: Stockton, CA
Region: California
Topic: Non-Natives, Seed and Plant Sources, Pruning
Title: Fruit on Jasmines
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
My jasmines have grown some small purple fruits and she is about to get her full bloom soon. Should I cut them off to help the plants out? What are they?ANSWER:
Thanks for your question. Mr. Smarty Plants is having trouble determining which plants you are growing that have small purple fruit. There are many plants, both natives and non-natives that are called jasmine. Below are the North American natives that we have in our database, but none if these seem to have purple fruit.
Blue jasmine (Clematis crispa)
Lehmann’s rockjasmine (Androsace chamaejasme ssp. lehmanniana)
Pygmyflower rockjasmine (Androsace septentrionalis)
Swamp yellow jasmine (Gelsemium rankinii)
Anyway, even though an exact identity isn’t known, in general, when plants set fruit they do divert energy and resources from growing and flowering to getting their fruit to mature and ripen so they can reproduce. But whether your plant is going to suffer because the fruit is maturing – only you can decide. If the plant is small and weak, it is recommended to prune out the fruit so that energy is not diverted. If you plant is vigorous, healthy and strong, keeping the fruit on won’t harm it and if you want to start more from seed (and your plant isn’t a hybrid), you may want the fruit to mature.
From the Image Gallery
More Non-Natives Questions
Planting non-native coastal bermudagrass in Portland TX
September 09, 2009 - How do you plant coastal grass?
view the full question and answer
Identification of native blackhaw or non-native ligustrum in Austin
January 16, 2005 - I have a native tree in my yard, ca.15-20 feet tall, that has glossy, rounded dark leaves and small clusters of dark purplish berries. (It also has very weak limbs - perhaps grows too fast for its ow...
view the full question and answer
Mowing wildflower concerns from Lockhart TX
March 30, 2012 - I went to the Texas Highway Department (Texas Department of Transportation) web site and sent them a concern or complaint about them or independent contractors shredding the roadsides before the blueb...
view the full question and answer
Distressed non-native weeping willows in Washington State
June 26, 2008 - What could be causing my weeping willows to be distressed year after year?
view the full question and answer
Transplant of non-native Lathyrus tuberosus in North Carolina
June 13, 2006 - I have a tuberous sweetpea vine that grows wild on our property. When would be a good time to move this plant to a better location?
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |