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 - July 03, 2012

From: Billerica, MA
Region: Northeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Idendification of plants with white cotton ball flowers
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

A few months ago I found a small plant with a white cotton ball type flower on it. It had red spots. It was on the bank of the Nashua river. I had never seen this before, and I am having a hard time figuring it out! I do have a picture. Thanks for your help!!!!

ANSWER:

Antennaria plantaginifolia (Plantain-leaf pussytoes) sort of fits your description.  You can see more photos and information from Connecticut Wildflowers.  Another possibility (without any noticeable red spots) that grows in damp places such as the bank of rivers is Eriocaulon aquaticum (Common pipewort).   If neither of these is the plant you saw, you can visit our Plant Identification page to find links to several plant identification forums that accept photos for identification.  I'm sorry, but because of the volume of requests, we no longer accept photos for identification.

 

From the Image Gallery


Woman's tobacco
Antennaria plantaginifolia

Seven-angle pipewort
Eriocaulon aquaticum

More Plant Identification Questions

Identity of plant at Zilker Botanical Gardens
March 22, 2011 - I am trying to identify a large flowering shrub I saw at Zilker Botanical Gardens. The bloom looks like a small chrysanthemum bloom that has been ruffled. The bloom are yellow, white, or pink. We h...
view the full question and answer

Plant ID by pictures from Boise ID
May 01, 2014 - DEAR WILDFLOWER CENTER, TOOK SOME PICTURES A WEEK AGO--THE BOISE BOTANICAL GARDEN IDENTIFIED THE HENBIT BUT COULDN'T IDENTIFY THE REDDISH CYLINDRICAL FLOWERS IN PHOTO #4--CAN YOU HELP? YOU CAN FIND...
view the full question and answer

Plant identification
April 04, 2010 - There's a wildflower growing on my patio its leaves look like the leaves of a lute leaf sage, it has a flower stalk with yellow flowers. The stalk is about a one foot high. What is the name of it?
view the full question and answer

Plant identification, orange honeysuckle
December 14, 2009 - I have two potted trees in my yard. They have honeysuckle-shaped, orange flowers that bloom year long and the leaves also resemble those of honeysuckle. There were no identification tags on them whe...
view the full question and answer

Information about plant called Josephs tears, possibly Jobs tears (Coix lacryma-jobi)
October 08, 2007 - I recently received a plant and was told it was a succulent called Joseph's Tears. According to the individual who gave it to me, during the month of September it develops a little growth at the tip...
view the full question and answer

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