About John Cash Expertise I can identify most cultivated ornamental plants both tropical plants and landscaping varieties depending on how much information I am given. I can also identify most native wild plants of the US at least to the Family and Genus. For the best chance of identification, I need pictures of leaves, stem, flowers, and fruit or seed. Send your pictures to john@arklatexwatergardens.com. I will answer your questions on AllExperts. Please make sure you size your pictures before you send them. Large pictures are VERY SLOW to download.
Experience I have been in the nursery/garden center business since 1976. I am an exotic plant collector and ornamental plant grower. I have studied plant identification all over the South East United States and in tropical Pacific coast Mexico.
Education/Credentials I have a B.S. Degree in Horticulture, a B.S. Degree in Botany with an emphasis on Taxonomy (plant identification) and a Master's degree in Floriculture (ornamental horticulture).
Expert: John Cash Date: 6/27/2007 Subject: Plant in flower bed
Question I have a strange plant that has just come up in my flower bed. Its leaves are slender and tall like a lily. But instead of a flower blooming at the end, there is a spiky small plant in the center. It looks like a tiny cedar tree in the middle. What the heck is it????
Answer Denise,
Sounds like a wild Sedge or Nut Grass. They make leaves that look basically like a grass then the flowers in the center are brown and fuzzy much like you described. Look up Sedge, Nut Grass, or the genus Carex and see if that is it. If not, email me a picture and I can tell you for sure. Email a picture to john@arklatexwatergardens.com. Be sure and size it to no more than 8" wide and 72 dpi.
