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
Not Yet Rated

Saturday - July 31, 2010

From: Burlington, WA
Region: Northwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I have this shrub looking type plant with leaves that smell like lemons. The plant has a very small white flower on it. This shrub shows up in my yard every year in the summer. We are curious as to weather or not we could use the leaves in cooking. Thanks.

ANSWER:

Sorry, but from your description I have no idea what your plant might be.  If you will take photos (high resolution and in good focus) and send them to us, we will do our best to identify it and let you know whether or not it is edible or toxic.  Please visit Mr. Smarty Plants' Plant Identification page to read instructions for submitting photos.
 

More Plant Identification Questions

Plant identifcation
October 05, 2009 - I have 3-4' high plants, spaced out thick red-greem stalks, w/slender long dark green leaves, several round "single" light lavender colored flowers 1&1/2" in circumference continuously bloom. Butt...
view the full question and answer

Identification of giant lilies
October 12, 2007 - I have giant lilies that I can't identify. The bulbs are about 4" in diameter, the leaves are 4 ft long. The flowers of the pink emerge only in the early summer, the flowers of the red emerge in s...
view the full question and answer

Plant Identification
October 20, 2009 - I have encountered a plant (two growing side by side) in our wooded back yard. It came up on its own, is about two feet tall, has leaves resembling that of an Angel's trumpet, about 4-5" long, jagge...
view the full question and answer

Purple wildflowers near Lake Tahoe
November 30, 2009 - I have been tasked with a challenge to find the plant that is "dark purple wild flowers at Lake Tahoe and are a magnificent thing to see in the fall. Interestingly, these wild mountain lake flowers w...
view the full question and answer

Keys for identification of native plants in Ohio
April 22, 2005 - Do you know of any good web sites that provide keys for the identification of native plants? I'm conducting a wetland plant inventory in southwestern Ohio.
view the full question and answer

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