Native Plants
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.
rate this answer
Saturday - September 07, 2013
From: Brick, NJ
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Plant Identification, Seeds and Seeding
Title: Plant ID from Brick, New Jersey
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I live in Brick, New Jersey. I planted some wildflower seed from an assorted packet. There is a very tall, thick center stem with orange flowers. I'd like to send photo but don't know how.ANSWER:
We are sorry, we are no longer able to accept pictures for plant identification. If you go to our Plant Identification Page, you will find out why. Also on that page you will find instructions for submitting photos to several online forums that do accept pictures for identification.
That really is not enough of a description for us to even attempt identification. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which those plants grow naturally. We would recommend purchasing only seeds or seed mixes native to the specific area in which they will be planted; in your case, Ocean County, NJ. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of the company that prepares the seed mixes. You may not only have seeds for plants from other parts of North America but from other parts of the world; plants that may well be totally inappropriate for you to grow in your garden.
In an effort to help you, we went to our Native Plant Database and, using the Combination Search on that page, searched on New Jersey for the state, "herb" for Habit, orange for Bloom Color, July through October for Bloom Time and 1-3 ft. for height. This yielded 5 results, none of which may be the plant you are looking for, but now that you know how to use our Native Plant Database you can try your own search, remembering that only plants native to North America will be in our database. Here are the selections that resulted from our search:
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterflyweed)
Hypericum gymnanthum (Claspingleaf st. johnswort)
Lilium philadelphicum (Wood lily)
From the Image Gallery
More Seeds and Seeding Questions
Should I transplant my bluebonnets from the planter they came into soil in Austin?
April 10, 2009 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
Since moving to Austin two years ago I have fallen in love with bluebonnets. Last year I purchased seedlings from the Wildflower Center but a taste-first-evaluate-later inquis...
view the full question and answer
Seeding wildflowers in Dallas
June 30, 2009 - What is the best way to establish seed for wildflowers in Dallas, TX? The area does get some irrigation from rotors. Would hydromulch be the most effective option?
view the full question and answer
Growing non-native grapefruit from seeds from Austin
April 30, 2013 - Can you grow ruby red grapefruit trees from seeds?
view the full question and answer
Source for Abutilon fruticosum (Indian mallow) seeds
September 24, 2011 - Do you know anyone who has Abutilon Fruticosum (Indian Mallow) seeds for sale? I would love to grow the Indian Mallow, but can't locate a source. Thanks!
view the full question and answer
Seeds native to New Jersey from Glendora NJ
April 16, 2012 - My sister is getting married and would like to send out native wildflower seeds to the guests in her save the dates. We want these seeds to be NJ native seeds, but we are actually having some trouble ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |