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
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Sunday - April 24, 2011
From: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Region: Other
Topic: Shrubs
Title: Identification of shrub from Kuala Lumpur
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I am seeing too much of shrubs used for landscaping that looks like dill, its stems are pretty woody and its leaves looks and smells like dill, are they the same? Can I consume this shrub that looks like dill? Please help me to understand.ANSWER:
We are sorry, but the expertise of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (and Mr. Smarty Plants) is limited to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native not only to North America but to the areas in which those plants grow natively. Anethum graveolens, dill, while it has been introduced in areas around the world, is native to Southeastern Asia. As for the identity of a dill-like shrub in Malaysia, that is WAY out of our field. We will say, however, that we would personally eat nothing about which we knew nothing, whatever it looks and smells like. Here are pictures of dill from Google; perhaps you can compare them to the shrubs you see; we would still ask someone, perhaps from a university or in a public garden, what that shrub is and then investigate it for edibility and possible poisonous parts.
More Shrubs Questions
Controlling scale insects on hollies
July 10, 2005 - I have a number of holly shrubs at the side of my house. Recently I noticed that they have tiny white spots on them. I looked at several native Texas gardening books, but can't find what I need to t...
view the full question and answer
Natural Privacy Planting for New Jersey
October 09, 2013 - I have a question about privacy plantings in New Jersey (Monmouth County). We have a wooden fence around the perimeter of backyard with some various older trees. We wanted to start anew and wanted to ...
view the full question and answer
Combining native shrubs for hedge in Austin
April 15, 2009 - Smarty,
Please tell me what the definitions are for all the various water, soil moisture, drainage and light requirements mean. Are the definitions global? I live in Central East Austin and inten...
view the full question and answer
Native shrub for Chesterfield VA
April 02, 2014 - Need a native shrub for the north side of our house that is deer resistant, not overly sensitive to wind, and can tolerate clay soil. Preferably 3-8 feet. Thanks for your help.
view the full question and answer
What's attacking my Nellie Stevens Holly plants in Iredell, TX?
June 27, 2011 - I just bought 10 Nellie R. Stevens holly bushes and planted them as a screen. The leaves on some of the plants are at least half white - not yellow but white. Apparently they were like that when I b...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |