Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
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.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_30.gif)
Thursday - April 01, 2010
From: Rose City, MI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Identification of poisonous shrub native to Michigan
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
This is found throughout the northern portion of the LP and in the UP. It grows to 3' as a shrub. It's leaves twigs and flowers ARE POISONOUS! It blooms in the Spring and can be found in the sun and in bogs, as well as a few other locations. This plant is native to Michigan. I can not identify it.ANSWER:
You haven't given Mr. Smarty Plants much to go on except that it is a shrub that is poisonous and is native to Michigan. However, here are a few possibilities:
Kalmia angustifolia (sheep laurel)
Cicuta maculata (spotted water hemlock)
Baptisia alba (white wild indigo)
Datura wrightii (sacred thorn-apple)
Dirca palustris (eastern leatherwood) and here are photos and more information
Andromeda polifolia (bog rosemary)
Rhamnus alnifolia (alderleaf buckthorn) and here are photos and more information
Viburnum opulus var. americanum (American cranberrybush)
The plants above are native to Michigan and are all listed on one or more of the following toxic plant databases:
Poisonous Plants of North Carolina Database, Cornell University Plants Poisonous to Livestock, and Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System.
You can see a list of Michigan shrubs that would potentially grow in bogs by doing a COMBINATION SEARCH in our Native Plant Database and choosing 'Michigan' from Select State or Province, 'Shrub' from Habit (general appearance), and 'Wet - soil is saturated with water' from Soil moisture.
If none of these are the plant you are trying to identify, please take photos and send them to us and we will do our very best to identify it. Please visit Mr. Smary Plants' Plant Identification page for instructions for submitting photos.
Here are photos from our Image Gallery of some of the plants above:
More Shrubs Questions
Hollies not retaining leaves in Tulsa
August 10, 2008 - I have Little Red Hollies that have lost their leaves, some areas being bald. They are also not full - you can see through them. These were planted in this condition Spring of '08 and have been wat...
view the full question and answer
Groundcover for a Sunny, Steep Slope in Maryland
April 29, 2013 - I need a groundcover for a sunny dry steep slope in Towson, Maryland. The slope goes from the parking lot down to a deck area.
view the full question and answer
Search for non-native Rosa Rugosa for Granbury TX
November 12, 2012 - I would like to find an old fashioned Rosa Rugosa (non-hybrid) to grow in central Texas. I know I've seen them occasionally when traveling in the central TX area. I want them for their rose hips.
...
view the full question and answer
Pruning overgrown Texas sage
February 15, 2016 - Texas sage bushes have been left to grow like mini trees. Can we have trimmed back to get a 'full' bush? Bottom 2 feet of plant look so dead. Will it sprout again as a bush if trimmed back and do...
view the full question and answer
Indoor lantana tree dropping leaves
November 06, 2008 - I purchased a lantana tree,a lantana hybrid that is only tolerant to 32 degrees. We are zone 5 so I brought it indoors and it only gets the morning sun, and 85%of the leaves have fallen off. The leav...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |