My Lovely Weeds

I think the common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) looks good even in the winter. And look at those daffodils popping up early.

2012-01-21T22:44:00.007-05:00

I found this nuts and bolts link that suggests that this plant is to be killed. But I've grown to like it.

This popped up in place of a crape myrtle that didn't make it this summer. Any guesses?

2011-10-05T21:02:00.001-04:00

??

2011-09-17T13:19:00.006-04:00

Monarda fistulosa. Also called Wild bergamot or Bee balm.

2011-07-15T23:45:00.002-04:00

Michelle is right: it's young pokeweed.

2011-07-15T23:37:00.003-04:00

?

2011-07-15T23:37:00.001-04:00

?????

2011-07-15T23:36:00.002-04:00

???

2011-07-15T23:36:00.001-04:00

It's high weed season in my yard. Anyone know what this is?

2011-07-15T23:34:00.001-04:00

Sheep sorrel (AKA red sorrel), Rumex acetosella. Thanks Michelle!

2011-06-16T21:52:00.001-04:00

???

2011-05-11T11:20:00.000-04:00

What's this? Could it be euphorbia? 5/13/11: No. Theora correctly IDed it as barberry.

2011-05-11T11:19:00.003-04:00

Here's Theora's comment, posted and then lost because Blogger got sick yesterday and ate a lot of comments.

"Is it spiky? Maybe a baby japanese/european barberry."

She's right! It's almost certainly something called Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea. I have a couple of those shrubs in the front yard -- planted by The Husband a long time ago, as in possibly 20 yrs ago. They are pretty but I now know they are invasive. Although I wouldn't say they are highly invasive since this is the first time in 20 years that a volunteer plant has appeared.

Weeds CAN be beautiful! Fleabane and buttercups.

2011-05-11T11:19:00.000-04:00

Could this be gaura? If so, I'll move it out of the "weeds" blog because, by my definition, gaura is not a weed.

2011-05-03T12:28:00.005-04:00

???

2011-05-03T12:28:00.001-04:00

Hairy bittercress is in full flower. To call it invasive is an understatement.

2011-03-23T23:21:00.006-04:00

I have seen my bees checking out the bittercress flowers so I'm tempted to leave them be, but they are everywhere and so easy to pull out in this season of a very wet garden.

10/21/10 Update: Swamp sunflower is the best guess so far. The deer allowed some of these to bloom!

2010-09-23T18:56:00.004-04:00

Nancy offered the opinion that these are swamp sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolius). So until more information comes in that's what they are. Thanks Nancy.

Laura says Helianthus aka sunflower.

2010-09-12T15:32:00.005-04:00

Note cute kitty paws.

??? Next door near the pond.

2010-09-06T17:48:00.000-04:00

Next door by the pond. [Theora says probably Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)]

2010-08-14T13:58:00.006-04:00

Bad pictures of this latest mystery weed. Must try to get better ones tomorrow.

2010-08-13T22:27:00.001-04:00

Found this one hiding in a neglected part of my garden.

2010-07-31T22:07:00.002-04:00

Crown Vetch (Securigera varia) says Michelle. Thanks!

2010-07-07T10:34:00.004-04:00

Garlic mustard.

2010-06-30T13:41:00.007-04:00

Original title for this post: Could this be something called Malva? I saw a similar plant at a farmers market but didn't note anything but "Malva." There are a LOT of Malvi.

7/9/10 update: Top picture taken after all the violets were removed from the middle of the plant. Still waiting for a flower and still convinced this is something worth keeping (not just a violet).

3/1/11 update: Could this be skunk cabbage?

4/12/11 final update: Theora and Samohta-- see comments -- have convinced me that this is garlic mustard. It never seems to bloom but I think that's because the deer are snapping off the flowers before I ever see them. Related post is here.

Sheep sorrel, suggests Michelle. I think she may be right, but I need to see the flowers first. TBC.

2010-06-30T13:38:00.002-04:00

4/12/11: Cleavers, Clivers, Goosegrass, Stickywilly, Stickyjack, Stickyweed, Stickyleaf, Catchweed, Robin-run-the-hedge or Coachweed

2010-06-17T12:52:00.008-04:00

Little itty bitty white flowers.

I think brianheagney, see comments, has ID'ed it. These are all the common names used for this weed, according to Wikipedia. Galium aparine.

Creeping Jenny blooms. This is why I love my weeds.

2010-05-25T12:39:00.002-04:00

June 12 update: Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria)

2010-05-24T19:23:00.002-04:00

I feel pretty sure that this is it. And deer don't like it according to one website that says;
"The foliage of members of the Pink family tends to be high in saponins and unattractive to mammalian herbivores."

Cranesbill (Geranium endressii)

2010-05-24T17:36:00.009-04:00

3/1/11 update: Thanks to Patricia Newport for the ID.

10/10/10: White boneset or thoroughwort. I'm letting it bloom but I won't let it grow next yr. Takes up too much real estate in my veggie garden.

2010-05-24T17:36:00.006-04:00

Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica).

2010-05-19T13:54:00.001-04:00

I think Michelle and Theora are right: this is a forget-me-not. And I also think I have a vague memory of planting some seeds for this last year. They look so weedy coming up that I'm sure I've yanked up a bunch of them before they could bloom. If they survive the deer, they'll be keepers.

???

2010-05-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

Sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis). [5/24/10 update]

2010-05-04T22:23:00.005-04:00

Here's a picture from last year. I'm letting them spread. They're weedy but are also pretty, in a modest, plain-jane way. And I STILL don't know what they are.

Could be something I planted & forgot about. I wonder what it is? [8-13: Andrea says maybe Lobelia inflata. I'll look for flowers to be sure.]

2010-04-25T18:08:00.002-04:00

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica).

2010-04-25T16:15:00.004-04:00

Near the C & O Canal off River Road in Bethesda.

Bluets or Houstonia caerulea.

2010-04-18T17:22:00.000-04:00

Lesser celandine (not marsh marigold).

2010-04-04T16:37:00.004-04:00

Ranunculus ficaria (not Caltha palustris). Also called fig buttercup.
Thanks to theora for the information.

Weeds in Italy versus weeds in Maryland. The ones with little white flowers look the same to me. (4/18/10: Hairy Bittercress)

2010-03-25T14:50:00.003-04:00

Cardamine hirsuta.

Still a mystery. Looks like its name should have "cress" in it.

2009-11-13T21:27:00.002-05:00

I think this is the same plant that I noticed last spring. Right here.
[4/19/10: Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)]

??? It's kind of viney.

2009-11-13T18:09:00.001-05:00

Yarrow? Yes, says Michelle. Achillea millefolium.

2009-11-09T00:35:00.003-05:00

Could be lady's thumb, or Pennsylvania smartweed, or tufted knotweed. Anyone know for sure?

2009-10-25T17:01:00.002-04:00

???

2009-10-25T17:01:00.001-04:00

4/12/11: Turkish speedwell (thanks andrea, see comments). A delicate and hardy little groundcover.

2009-10-25T16:57:00.003-04:00

Veronica liwanenis

Jerusalem artichoke?

2009-10-17T13:01:00.001-04:00

Most people, including me, wouldn't call these weeds. But they come up every year in the park next door and I've never been sure what they are. Deer don't eat them so I'd like to borrow a few plants for my yard in the hope they'll spread.

???

2009-10-17T12:57:00.000-04:00

Spotted in my friend Shannon's front yard.

Yes, nutsedge. Specifically yellow nutsedge.

2009-10-08T19:56:00.001-04:00

Cyperus esculentus.

It looks like wild rosemary but is there such a plant? [8-13: Andrea says Andromeda polifolia or bog-rosemary so we're going with that for now.]

2009-09-23T13:11:00.002-04:00

??? Shepherd's purse maybe?

2009-09-23T13:10:00.003-04:00

??? (10/6: could this be nutsedge???)

2009-09-23T13:09:00.003-04:00

12/26/09 update: Aporn says this is an obedient plant.

2009-09-23T13:08:00.006-04:00

Physostegia virginiana.

Sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis). [5/24/10 update]

2009-09-23T13:05:00.003-04:00

???

2009-09-23T13:05:00.002-04:00

???? Boneset maybe?

2009-09-17T16:27:00.005-04:00

And this is ...?? (9/18: Possibly white wood aster.)

2009-09-17T16:27:00.004-04:00

Eurybia divaricata.
This is what I'm calling it until someone corrects me.

Now that this weed has finally bloomed I should be able to identify it. (Clammy Ground Cherry, 9/23.)

2009-09-17T16:26:00.005-04:00

Physalis heterophylla. (Yes, Michelle, it is a nightshade.)

What IS this stuff? St. John's Wort, I do believe.

2009-09-04T22:54:00.004-04:00

Hypericum perforatum.

???

2009-08-02T20:40:00.001-04:00

Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata).

2009-08-02T20:39:00.002-04:00

Some call this a weed. I call it salad. Purslane.

2009-07-18T00:49:00.002-04:00

Portulaca oleracea.

A big climbing weed called, some say, Trumpet Vine. It likes to climb up the downspout and onto the roof. But it's never bloomed...

2009-07-16T23:55:00.004-04:00

Campsis radicans is the Latin name for trumpet vine. I'm not totally sure that this is the correct ID. More research is called for.

This stuff is everywhere. It's called dock, says gaiagardener. Rumex obtusifolius.

2009-07-16T23:46:00.003-04:00

Is this what everyone calls crabgrass? I'm guessing that Lori KP (see comments) is right: it's goosegrass (Eleusine indica).

2009-07-08T19:04:00.002-04:00

This plant is close to 4 ft tall. No sign of a flower. I so want to hack it down. But I want to see if it blooms. (7/8: Dug it up. I'll never know.)

2009-07-05T22:52:00.001-04:00

(9/26/09 update: Eastern redbud seedling)

2009-07-05T22:51:00.001-04:00

I still have no idea what this is. It's not a tomato. Looks like a gigantic marigold without the flowers.

2009-07-05T22:49:00.003-04:00

A tender grass. Seems to like water.

2009-07-03T13:00:00.004-04:00

I think most people would call honeysuckle a weed. I really need to think about pruning this thing.

2009-07-03T12:58:00.001-04:00

?? Between the driveway and the carport. Now THIS is a hardy weed.

2009-07-03T12:57:00.000-04:00

I really, really want to stop buying books, but how can I resist this?

2009-06-15T10:30:00.001-04:00

Found all throughout my vegetable garden. What is it? It's not dandelion. (9/23: Dock for sure.)

2009-05-30T15:32:00.003-04:00

Pokeweed! It might be the most common weed in my yard. Mostly in my flower beds.

2009-05-30T15:29:00.008-04:00

Tickseed or coreopsis.

2009-05-30T15:29:00.006-04:00

Money tree or money plant (Lunaria annua). They get nice translucent silver discs in the fall).

2009-05-28T13:59:00.012-04:00

Also called honesty plant. I saw these purple wildflowers on the side of a road in April, not on someone's property but on city property. They looked like some kind of tall roadside weed, so I didn't think it was so wrong to pick just two flowers. I stuck them in dirt and they are now quite happy. Ugly but happy. I'll plant them in my wildflower garden, near the back. I read that they are one of those dreaded and dreadful biennials. Bloom twice and then die. I've come to dislike the whole idea of biennials. Seems unnatural. Plants should bloom always or once. Not some wishy washy middle ground. The top photo is from www.zum.de/stueber/lindman/212.jpg.

I've got 18 books on weeds and wildflowers and vines and grasses. And yet there are still some weeds that I can't find.

2009-05-27T23:59:00.003-04:00

Books for my weed-identification project.

2009-05-18T17:27:00.000-04:00

Johnson grass?

2009-05-12T15:26:00.004-04:00

Plantain.

2009-05-09T12:10:00.003-04:00

Plantago major.

Sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis). [5/24/10 update]

2009-05-09T12:05:00.004-04:00

Wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

2009-05-09T12:03:00.002-04:00

There seem to be three kinds of clover in my yard: Dutch White, which I'm planting from seeds b/c it stays short, this larger clover with yellow flowers, and an even taller clover with big purple flowers.

????

2009-05-06T17:07:00.001-04:00

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

2009-05-06T17:06:00.002-04:00

See related post on garlic mustard here.

???

2009-05-06T17:05:00.000-04:00

Veronica spicata (spiked speedwell).

2009-05-03T15:28:00.004-04:00

I'm calling this a weed because it spreads like wildfire. I think I bought a couple of plants 4 or 5 years ago and now it pops up everywhere. Has nice purple flowers so I'll let it spread around...up to a point.

Creeping charlie, gill-over-the-ground, ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea).

2009-05-03T10:53:00.004-04:00

Mock (False) Strawberry (Duchesnea indica)

2009-05-03T10:52:00.005-04:00

Violets. They get to stay.

2009-05-03T10:51:00.000-04:00

Common fleabane.

2009-05-03T10:50:00.002-04:00

Erigeron philadelphicus.

White flowers are what? They are peeking out of some violets and wild strawberry.

2009-04-30T17:50:00.000-04:00

What's this?

2009-04-30T17:47:00.002-04:00

What's this?

2009-04-30T17:47:00.001-04:00

Another mystery weed.

2009-04-29T11:37:00.001-04:00

Creeping jenny.

2009-04-29T11:36:00.002-04:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know it's invasive and non-native but I love it.
Lysimachia nummularia

Is this just plain grass?

2009-04-29T11:34:00.001-04:00

Pulled from my back yard, which is no longer being mowed. Is this what happens to grass when you let it go to seed? So ugly.

Lemon balm. If I let it, it will take over the front flower bed. Very aggressive.

2009-04-20T21:02:00.002-04:00

Not an evergreen plant so one strike against it. And it grows very tall if not trimmed. Strike two. But it's hardy and needs little water. Melissa officinalis.

Chickweed in bloom.

2009-04-20T21:01:00.001-04:00

I tried to love this weed. I failed. Cerastium vulgatum.

Dutch white clover. Grown from seeds.

2009-04-20T21:00:00.001-04:00

My Lovely Weeds

I think the common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) looks good even in the winter. And look at those daffodils popping up early.

This popped up in place of a crape myrtle that didn't make it this summer. Any guesses?

??

Monarda fistulosa. Also called Wild bergamot or Bee balm.

Michelle is right: it's young pokeweed.

?

?????

???

It's high weed season in my yard. Anyone know what this is?

Sheep sorrel (AKA red sorrel), Rumex acetosella. Thanks Michelle!

???

What's this? Could it be euphorbia? 5/13/11: No. Theora correctly IDed it as barberry.

Weeds CAN be beautiful! Fleabane and buttercups.

Could this be gaura? If so, I'll move it out of the "weeds" blog because, by my definition, gaura is not a weed.

???

Hairy bittercress is in full flower. To call it invasive is an understatement.

10/21/10 Update: Swamp sunflower is the best guess so far. The deer allowed some of these to bloom!

Laura says Helianthus aka sunflower.

??? Next door near the pond.

Next door by the pond. [Theora says probably Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)]

Bad pictures of this latest mystery weed. Must try to get better ones tomorrow.

Found this one hiding in a neglected part of my garden.

Crown Vetch (Securigera varia) says Michelle. Thanks!

Garlic mustard.

Sheep sorrel, suggests Michelle. I think she may be right, but I need to see the flowers first. TBC.

4/12/11: Cleavers, Clivers, Goosegrass, Stickywilly, Stickyjack, Stickyweed, Stickyleaf, Catchweed, Robin-run-the-hedge or Coachweed

Creeping Jenny blooms. This is why I love my weeds.

June 12 update: Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria)

Cranesbill (Geranium endressii)

10/10/10: White boneset or thoroughwort. I'm letting it bloom but I won't let it grow next yr. Takes up too much real estate in my veggie garden.

Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica).

???

Sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis). [5/24/10 update]

Could be something I planted & forgot about. I wonder what it is? [8-13: Andrea says maybe Lobelia inflata. I'll look for flowers to be sure.]

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica).

Bluets or Houstonia caerulea.

Lesser celandine (not marsh marigold).

Weeds in Italy versus weeds in Maryland. The ones with little white flowers look the same to me. (4/18/10: Hairy Bittercress)

Still a mystery. Looks like its name should have "cress" in it.

??? It's kind of viney.

Yarrow? Yes, says Michelle. Achillea millefolium.

Could be lady's thumb, or Pennsylvania smartweed, or tufted knotweed. Anyone know for sure?

???

4/12/11: Turkish speedwell (thanks andrea, see comments). A delicate and hardy little groundcover.

See also September 23. Looks like, but isn't, rosemary. Even has the same tiny flowers. Has great fall color. [8-13: might be bog-rosemary per Andrea]

Jerusalem artichoke?

???

Yes, nutsedge. Specifically yellow nutsedge.

It looks like wild rosemary but is there such a plant? [8-13: Andrea says Andromeda polifolia or bog-rosemary so we're going with that for now.]

??? Shepherd's purse maybe?

??? (10/6: could this be nutsedge???)

12/26/09 update: Aporn says this is an obedient plant.

Sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis). [5/24/10 update]

???

???? Boneset maybe?

And this is ...?? (9/18: Possibly white wood aster.)

Now that this weed has finally bloomed I should be able to identify it. (Clammy Ground Cherry, 9/23.)

What IS this stuff? St. John's Wort, I do believe.

???

Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata).

Some call this a weed. I call it salad. Purslane.

A big climbing weed called, some say, Trumpet Vine. It likes to climb up the downspout and onto the roof. But it's never bloomed...

This stuff is everywhere. It's called dock, says gaiagardener. Rumex obtusifolius.

Is this what everyone calls crabgrass? I'm guessing that Lori KP (see comments) is right: it's goosegrass (Eleusine indica).

This plant is close to 4 ft tall. No sign of a flower. I so want to hack it down. But I want to see if it blooms. (7/8: Dug it up. I'll never know.)

(9/26/09 update: Eastern redbud seedling)

I still have no idea what this is. It's not a tomato. Looks like a gigantic marigold without the flowers.

A tender grass. Seems to like water.

I think most people would call honeysuckle a weed. I really need to think about pruning this thing.

?? Between the driveway and the carport. Now THIS is a hardy weed.

I really, really want to stop buying books, but how can I resist this?

Found all throughout my vegetable garden. What is it? It's not dandelion. (9/23: Dock for sure.)

Pokeweed! It might be the most common weed in my yard. Mostly in my flower beds.

Tickseed or coreopsis.

Money tree or money plant (Lunaria annua). They get nice translucent silver discs in the fall).

I've got 18 books on weeds and wildflowers and vines and grasses. And yet there are still some weeds that I can't find.

Books for my weed-identification project.

Johnson grass?

Plantain.