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
1 rating

Tuesday - May 20, 2008

From: Vicksburg, MS
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Mystery plant in Vicksburg, MS
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I have a strange plant that has come up by a ditch next to my house. I've lived here 23 years and have never seen anything like it. I can only guess that it came up from a packet of wildflower seeds that I threw in that area last year that didn't do anything then or now except for this strange plant. I would like to send you 2 pictures of this thing to possibly identify it. I tried searching the web but can't seem to find a place that will let me send the pics. It's a huge thing and still growing. I don't know if I should mow it down or not but I'm opting not to in case it blooms. Can I send the pics via a reply to your email to me? Thank you for your consideration, Kalar Walters

ANSWER:

We certainly would like to see a picture of that to see if we can identify it. Go to the Ask Mr. Smarty Plants page, and in the lower right-hand corner, under "Plant Identification", are instructions for e-mailing pictures to us. We're looking forward to seeing it.
 

More Plant Identification Questions

Plant identification
August 07, 2014 - there is a plant in our yard...I believe it to be in the seed phase..it has 3 or 5 pointed leaves topped with a green fuzzy ball then another set of leaves and a green fuzzy ball..this is continued a...
view the full question and answer

Identity of bulbs from digging in an anthole
June 13, 2012 - I was digging in an ant hole and it collapsed and as I dug it out, I found around 50 white bulbs that did not have a smell or roots. They resembled onion bulbs. I have a picture of these and they are...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
May 13, 2009 - Every spring I have pink evening primroses blooming near the curb where the soil is very poor - lots of clay, very dry. Along with the pink evening primroses, there is a vine that can spread about th...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
November 04, 2010 - I am trying to figure out what this plant is..It has light feathery leaves like dill. It is an annual in the midwest. Height 5-6 feet tall. Stalk is about 3 inches wide with branches that are 2 feet l...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
December 17, 2009 - For a few weeks now the front of our school has had an on and off smell that to some was like a dead animal. To others it smelled like dirty fish fry oil. Maintenance people came out and found the sou...
view the full question and answer

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