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_32.gif)
Saturday - December 20, 2008
From: Landisburg, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant called crows foot/feet used to make wreaths at Christmas
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
In Pennsylvania there was a green ground hugging vine I knew as "crow's feet/foot" we used in the 1950s at Christmas time for wreaths and window and door borders. It looked like a cluster of bird's feet and grew in long vines. What is the proper name of this wild plant?ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants has come up with two possibilities for plants with "crowfoot/feet" or "crow's foot/feet" as part of their common names. These are:Lycopodium digitatum (fan clubmoss) called Crowfoot Club-moss in Hort.net. Here are more photos.
Sedum ternatum (woodland stonecrop) called Crow's Feet in East Tennessee Wildflowers. Here are more photos.
These both occur in Pennsylvania and though not technically vines, they are both trailing low-growing evergreen plants.
If neither of these is the plant you remember, please send us more description or photographs if you have them (see Ask Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page for instructions on submitting photos).
Mr. Smarty Plants would be very interested to know if either of these is the plant you used for making wreaths.
More Plant Identification Questions
Mystery small tree with many large thorns
May 09, 2011 - In a small spot on over 2 acres, we have this strange tree/shrub. It is a single, straight stem with no branches, and has profuse, large thorns from top to bottom. At the top of the stem, the leaves...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
August 28, 2010 - I have a very distinctive vine accompanying morning glory in invading my beds - it is Prickly! (on the vine, underside of leaves, leaf stems). The leaf is not arrowhead, but a triangle; I've not seen...
view the full question and answer
Tall lily with dark berry at leaf attachment
June 25, 2012 - A lily showed up in my flower garden last year (central Illinois); about 3' tall, a single dark berry at the stem where each leaf is attached. It didn't flower. This year it's approaching 4' tall ...
view the full question and answer
Picture of Castilleja purpurea
February 08, 2015 - Can you tell me what the seedling for Castilleja purpurea looks like?
Or do you have a picture?
view the full question and answer
Non-native astilbe resemblance to non-native poisonous castor bean from Tomslake BC
May 21, 2014 - I have a plant that looks like a castor bean but it has flowers like a Younique Silvery Pink Astilbe. Need to id because castor bean is poisonous. This plant grows up to 5 feet in height.
Thank you !
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |