Explore Plants
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.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Tuesday - June 15, 2010
From: Montfort, WI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant Identification in Montfort WI
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
There is a small orange flower plant that grows wild along highways and in uncut yards in northwest Wisconsin--We are visiting in Siren, WI and have tried to dig some up and take home to SW WI. They did not grow. Our soil is clay and here it a lot of sand. What is the name of the plant and are they better in sandy soil?ANSWER:
Even with a much more complete description than this, we cannot often make an identification without pictures. Furthermore, the plant may be an escaped non-native, and not even appear in our Native Plant Database. Go to our Plant Identification site, and follow the instructions carefully for submitting a photo; be sure to get pictures of leaves, blooms, etc. We can't promise success, even then, but will try.
More Plant Identification Questions
Identifying Rhus lanceolata in Texas
April 28, 2013 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I think I've identified two small trees, 4 to 5 feet high at the back fence line and two in the front yard flower beds as prairie flameleaf sumac (or at least some kind of s...
view the full question and answer
Identification of a mushroom in England
June 02, 2011 - I have a fungi I cannot recognize. It has a whitish soft pithy stem about 2/3 mm wide and approximately 6-10cm long. It has no leaves just a white flower/seed case on the top of the stem. This head is...
view the full question and answer
Identification of plant, probably Datura.
October 15, 2007 - We currently have in bloom a very leggy, about 2 foot high volunteer plant in Fredericksburg, TX that has a segmented stem, single large trumpet shaped flowers that stick straight up about 4 inches in...
view the full question and answer
Flat leaf cedar, Thuja occidentalis (arborvitae)
May 23, 2007 - Hello, I am looking for the scientific name for what is commonly called flat leaf cedar. It has defined platelets, wonderful cedar smell, older trees have shaggy bark, in winter some of its sprays tu...
view the full question and answer
Eliminating unwanted vine on arbor in San Francisco
November 20, 2012 - There is a vine growing on our arbor, it has sickle-shaped pods and is crushing the arbor, how do we get rid of it?
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
