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
Saturday - August 04, 2012
From: Fort Worth, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Hello Mr. Smarty Plants! I have a plant that was given to me and told it was spider plant, but I don't believe it is. The plat grows up and has leaves coming out like a spider plant but they are green and red-ish color at the bottom.ANSWER:
First of all, our focus and expertise here at the Wildflower Center are with plants native to North America and the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is an African native. Second of all, your description doesn't give us enough detail to identify your plant and we cannot accept attached photographs. If you will visit our Plant Identification page, however, you will find links to several plant identification forums that will accept the photograph of your plant for identification.
More Plant Identification Questions
Bulb identification
December 10, 2009 - My pinecone ginger (Zingiber zerumbet), my white ginger (Hedychium coronarium) and my cana lilly roots were all accidently put in the same box and now I can't tell which is which. Is there some sort ...
view the full question and answer
What are the differences between Arbutus xalapensis, A. unedo and A. marina
August 29, 2013 - One nursery lists madrone trees as arbutus uneda compacta and arbutus marina. The other lists it as arbutus xalapensis, which is the only name I can find in the data base. There is a very large pric...
view the full question and answer
Plant with no leaves, flexible and stores water
January 09, 2009 - Do you now a plant that has no leaves but stores a lot of water and is very flexible? Maybe a type of vine?
Thank you!
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
July 03, 2009 - I have a tree growing in my backyard that has started to produce bean shaped blue berries the interior of the berry is red and the leaf shape is long and triangle and the stems the berries grow on are...
view the full question and answer
Plant identfication for Roosevelt Park, NY
August 28, 2009 - Looking for the name and chemical breakdown of a tree. Its leaves are green with heart like puffs blooming out. This tree was seen at Roosevelt Park, Long Island NY 11575
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |