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.

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?

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

Friday - January 21, 2011

From: Elkhart, IN
Region: Midwest
Topic: Edible Plants
Title: Culture of Polytaenia nuttallii, Prairie Parsley
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

Polytaenia nuttallii is listed at the Wildflower Center as a biennial. PLANTS database lists it as a perennial. Please clear this up if you can. If I plant this at home with tomato plants will it do well? Can the seed be used in dill seed recipes? I have purchased seed from Native American Seed.

ANSWER:

Polytaenia nuttallii (Nuttall's prairie parsley) is sometimes listed as a biennial because it forms vegetative but not reproductive tissues the first year. Several authorities, e.g., The USDA, state that it can flower not only the second year but during subsequent years, and therefore should be considered a perennial.

Polytaenia nuttallii thrives in well-drained, loamy soil, and is often found in rocky, limestone locations. I do not find any indication that it produces allelopathic substances that might inhibit tomato plants, so the two species should coexist well. It sometimes hosts the caterpillars of swallowtail butterflies. Under some conditions Polytaenia nuttallii might become invasive, but it should be easily controlled in your garden.

Most of the authoritative references on Polytaenia nuttallii do not mention the use of its seeds as a substitute for dill. However, some online posts have mentioned that it can be substituted for dill. It is worth a try, but I expect it would not be a good substitute. I might mention that American Indians have been reported to use a decoction of Polytaenia nuttallii seeds to treat diarrhea.

From the Image Gallery

Texas prairie parsley
Polytaenia texana