Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

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.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Tuesday - June 12, 2012

From: San Antonio, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Edible Plants
Title: Request for wild and edible plant information for Boy Scouts from San Antonio
Answered by: Barbara Medford and Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

We are with the Boy Scouts. Is it possible for you to email me information on the Wild and Edible plants at the Government Canyon? WE are teaching our scouts on this subject right now. We have already taken them on many 10 and 15 mile hikes in the canyon. Thank you

ANSWER:

We have to admit we didn't know what or where Government Canyon is, but we found this website on its location and uses. There were several more websites on the facility, and we looked through all of them and never found any mention of lists of plants. The lists of plants we have are all plants native to North America, and the plants we grow onsite at the Wildflower Center are native to Texas. In our Special Collections section, we have this list of Edible Native Texas Plants at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Since we are in Austin and you are in San Antonio, hopefully this will help.

Another member of the Mr. Smarty Plants team with a sharper eye than ours pointed out a previous Mr. Smarty Plants question that might help you even more than we did. We can't guarantee that any of the plants mentioned even grow in Government Canyon, but at least it's a start.

 

More Edible Plants Questions

Edible/medicinal plants in Suffolk County, NY
August 19, 2010 - Which types of edible/medicinal plants are available in Suffolk County (Long Island NY)? Is there a place I can find a list with information about what they look like, where they can be found and what...
view the full question and answer

How to care for blueberries in Oregon
July 11, 2008 - New to oregon and to blueberry bushes - can you tell me the proper way to care for them - location-sandy, Oregon and unsure of which type of blueberry they are thank you
view the full question and answer

Will a chile pequin survive winters in Garden City, Kansas
March 24, 2010 - Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, I am trying to determine if a chile pequin (Capsicum annuum) can survive Kansas winters. My sister lives in Killeen, TX, and has a couple of these bushes in her yard. She broug...
view the full question and answer

Is cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens) edible?
December 21, 2012 - I found a post here about cenizo leaves being used for tea, but I'm wondering if the leaves of the cenizo are edible? I have found many recipes for 'brown butter sage' leaves (sauteed often with on...
view the full question and answer

Arctostaphylos Hanging Basket for Texas
April 24, 2015 - I would like to plant an Arctostaphylos uva-ursi in a hanging basket with a coco liner. Will this work, or will the roots grow too long? it's the 'Massachusetts' cultivar.
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.