What is this horrible weed and how do I get rid of it???

10 years ago

We just moved into a new house and trying to learn all of the plants. This weed is growing EVERYWHERE (front yard, back yard, in the grass, between patio stones...) and when I dig it up it has one very thick long deep root. Anyone know what it is and how to get rid of it???

Thanks!

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Comments (11)

CaraRose
10 years ago
Pokeweed seedling?
missingtheobvious
10 years ago
It might be pokeweed, Phytolacca americana. I can't tell from the photo.

Here's a thread on pokeweed with some photos of a large plant:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/namegal/msg0816284825135.html?14

Here are photos of younger plants:
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=270
{{gwi:251984}}

If you can't remove all the root (which you must do in order to get rid of pokeweed), you can put a few drops of Round-up concentrate (or generic glyphosate concentrate) on it or pour boiling water in the hole with the root. If it sprouts again from the root, repeat.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
full strength.. as close to 41% as you can get...

in very expensive applicator at link ...

snip.. and one drop.. and keep doing it for the next few years.. until you use up all the seeds..

i bet you have found out.. that rocks as mulch.. makes it a PIA to dig things out.. eh??/

and that is the beauty of the RU.. no digging ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
torontogal
Original Author
10 years ago
I don't find it looks like that. Here are a few more pictures. What do you think?

Oh and you don't have to tell me about the hundreds of rocks in the garden. I've started getting my 2.5 year old to start "collecting rocks" in a big bin. What a horrible gardening idea.
torontogal
Original Author
10 years ago
Another picture
lisanti07028
10 years ago
I'm still not sure if it's pokeweed or not, as it also has a long, thick root. Could you show us one that you dug up, with the root?

If it's not pokeweed, it could be a sucker from a tree or shrub, of which there are several to many that sucker freely (lilac, clethra, sumac, sassafras, bamboo, some roses...). If it is almost woody, and if the root starts to head laterally underground, look around for a plant/shrub/tree that has similar leaves,
torontogal
Original Author
10 years ago
This house has sumac, lilac, and roses growing in the garden so it could very well be. I will dig one up in the morning and take a picture. They also don't seem to get bigger than this. They just cluster. When I moved in (June) there were tons of them along with dandelions 4.5 feet. So I doubt the previous owners weeded these and not the huge dandelions.
missingtheobvious
10 years ago
Could you post a much closer photo which would allow us to see the leaf veins? I'm not sure what I'm seeing, but it might rule out pokeweed -- and might also tell one of the experts exactly what it is.

Were you saying that the dandelions were 4.5 feet tall? If so, probably not dandelions, but wild lettuce, sowthistle, cat's ears, hawkweed, or something along that line.
===

About pokeweed:

I would expect pokeweed leaves to be pointier, but your plant is still young. Pokeweed does grow in Ontario. But the not growing taller would seem to rule out pokeweed.
torontogal
Original Author
10 years ago
I just found some large ones on the side of the house (behind a shed within a fence I hadn't been to before). There is one with a flower but no berries.
torontogal
Original Author
10 years ago
Pic 2
saltcedar
10 years ago
Saponaria officinalis?

Here is a link that might be useful: Saponaria officinalis