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
Thursday - April 04, 2013
From: Akron, OH
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Non-Natives, Plant Identification
Title: Identity of plant at funeral that smells similar to honeysuckle
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
What plant or flower smells similar to honeysuckle? I live in Ohio and I smelled some kind of flower or plant at a friends funeral last spring that smelled similar to honeysuckle. It wasn't honeysuckle but it smelled kinda like Honeysuckle. I could not smell each of the flowers to find out which one it was, so I don't know what it looked like. It did not have that typical, rosy, floral, funeral flower smell to it at all. But it must have been a flower or plant that a local florist used in their flower arrangement. I smelled a few honeysuckle plants and they were not the same smell so I'm sure it's some other flower or plant that smells similar yet different. Thanks for reading my question.ANSWER:
First of all, our focus and expertise at the Wildflower Center are with plants native to North America. It would be very unusual for the florist who provided the arrangements for the funeral you attended to use native plants in the floral tribute to your friend; therefore, we aren't really the people who can answer your question. Secondly, without a description of the plant that produced the fragrance, it is virtually an impossible mystery to solve from afar. However, I do have some suggestions to help you learn what flowers smelled like honeysuckle.
- First, contact the funeral home that was in charge of the services and ask them if they have a record of the florists who supplied the various arrangements. If they can give you a list of florists, then visit the ones near you and ask them if they have a record of the flowers that they prepared for your friend's funeral. You can also learn from the florist which of the flowers have a fragrance and if they have them in stock for you to smell.
- If the funeral home can't (or won't) provide the names of the florists for your friend's funeral, then google "funeral flowers Akron" and find a florist near you who makes "sympathy" arrangements. I am betting that they will be able to tell you some likely candidates for the fragrant flowers and will probably have some on hand for you to smell..
More Plant Identification Questions
Plant identification
September 05, 2011 - This incredible plant has grown up in the past two months. Considering the extreme heat of this summer, my husband assumes it must be a weed. We have had this skinny strip of dirt for four years, and ...
view the full question and answer
Native North American bulbs
August 19, 2011 - I saw your list of 4 lilies native to the Northeastern United States, which was very helpful. What other bulbs are native to North America? Although I garden in Connecticut, I am interested in learn...
view the full question and answer
Smarty Plants on Hesperaloe parviflora
August 02, 2005 - On the home page of this website (right of center) there is a plant with the long stems and pink flowers and with green pods or seeds, also. Could you please tell me the name of this flower? We have ...
view the full question and answer
Identification of a vine with 3 leaves and a red trunk
January 02, 2014 - What is a vine with 3 leaves that has a red trunk?
view the full question and answer
Identification of volunteer tree
April 28, 2011 - I have a volunteer tree in my yard that has a mixture of serrated, non-serrated, and partially-serrated leaves on it. My tree identification guides all assume either serrated or non-serrated. How do...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |