Native Plants
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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.
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Monday - December 01, 2008
From: Fort Worth, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: General Botany
Title: Every plant in Texas
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Do you know every plant in Texas? AlexisANSWER:
Since Mr. Smarty Plants and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center specialize in plants native to the area in which they are growing, we would like to answer your question talking only about plants native to Texas; that is, they were growing and still are growing in Texas where they were growing before the European explorers came to North America.
Now, in answer to your question, no, sorry, we don't know every NATIVE plant in Texas. In the first place, Mr. Smarty Plants does not have nearly enough memory to remember all those plants. In the second place, not all the plants in Texas have even been discovered and identified.
In the whole world, there are at least 230,000 species of flowering plants that have been identified. It is estimated that there are at least that many more that have not yet been discovered. In Texas, about 5,000 species of flowering plants have been discovered. There are new plants being found growing wild all the time. Our Native Plant Database lists 3,192 plants native to Texas, and there could be that many more waiting to be found. Probably we will never know all the plants in Texas, but we are glad you are interested in them. We thought you might like to see some pictures of various native plants of Texas, so you can get an idea of what a variety there is.
More General Botany Questions
USDA Hardiness Zones
January 22, 2015 - Some natives are listed as ZONE 3 - 7. Would they be ok in zone 9. I thought the zones related to cold hardiness. What does the higher number mean, exactly?
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Burn the wetlands
June 02, 2010 - Can the wetlands of Louisiana that have been soaked in oil be burned? I am a native plant gardener in the midwest. Burning is a natural process in the prairie.
Southerners are not used to this and ma...
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Project on natives in Connecticut from Chino CA
April 13, 2010 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants,
My 10 yr. old daughter is doing a project on Ct., and would like to know what the most common plants, trees and flowers are found in this state. A few of each would be a great ...
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Can I grow wild rice in green house conditions?
November 17, 2010 - Can I grow Zizania aquatica (wild rice) in green house conditions?
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Does Nolina lindheimeriana have separate male and female plants
June 30, 2013 - RE: NOLINA LINDHEIMERIANA
You show several pictures, with flowers & with seed pods. I have one plant that has only flowers and one that has only seed pods. Are they male and female? I don't see ...
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