Crimson clover is gorgeous right now! I intend to have some of that in my yard next year. :)

Blackberries are starting to ripen. YUM!

Time to start trying to not to be in awe of the mimosa trees. From what I've gathered, it's only acceptable to appreciate them if you're cussing them while doing it, don't let anybody catch you looking at them without a scowl. So glad there's not one dropping seeds real close.

Clover, clover, so pretty all over. Love the one with the red heart on each leaf!

purpleinopp and drippy, you two probably live 250 miles apart and at times are enjoying same plants blooming at the same time. Maybe an overlap in long blooming season.

The red clover is in bloom here in W. Jefferson and the blackberries and dewberries are blooming like crazy, but no where near ripe . As for mimosa trees, wisteria, privet, kudzu and hackle berry trees ,I have endlessly fought these. So weeds do little to brother me.

Across the way there is a Trumpet Creeper (?) growing on a dead tree, loaded with flowers.

More or less I look at weeds the same way as Moonfire . ( I like almost all of them).The Butter Cups and red clover blooming along highway 269 are very pleasing to the eye. ..joseph

It might be crossvine, Jospeh. I haven't seen any trumpet creeper with buds yet but the crossvine here should be blooming in just another day or two. Mine is loaded with nearly open buds.

It's only a weed if it's where you don't want it. I like my colorful lawn of "weeds" that provides early forage for the bees and something pretty too look at; first a carpet of purple (henbit/dead nettle) then blue (speedwell) and finally pink (carolina geranium), yellow (sorrel) and white (clover) before the bermuda takes over.

I spend a lot of time cursing mimosa and only a brief time each year loving it. If only it weren't so darn invasive it'd make a great landscape southern tree.

alabamaicole, cross vine it is. I did not think it was the creeper, but could not put my mind on the name. Gold color inside, with blooms 50-60 touching each other in clusters. Gorgeous. The creeper which is not too far away from the cross vine is just now putting on leaves. Your knowledge of plants is point on. Wish that I could retain what I see and read. Just can not. I get to rename plants and animals all the time. Visiting someones yard that has everything labeled, for me IS wonderful. Same with going to the zoo. Because of name plates the monkey remains the monkey.

Ya know Southern Living still has the Mimosa as a major landscaping tree. Growing up on Panama Street, my dad had them planted on the road bank about every 30 foot. It was a beautiful show- tunnel to drive and walk under. I have fought them ever since.

Russ H. , a plant world friend ( plant IQ off the charts) refers to the Mimosa as the butterfly's cafeteria and I do not remember seeing a mimosa on her acreage.

Some plants actually worry me more than the "chicken hawk" no matter where I see them. Wisteria, kudzu, privet and mimosa are evil plants to me. My black list for plants NOT TO HAVE,has these four on it .

I suspect in a decade or so nandina will be on everyone's thug list, too. I see that stuff coming up everywhere and fight it in my yard.

And boston ivy. Ugh. It and the privet are talking over the woods behind my house.

Mahonia may get there, too. I have seen it growing out in the woods on Monte Sano, do doubt thanks to the birds. It may be fortunate that is isn't a popular plant.

oh i was so thinking bout nandina and was gonna post it but couldn't think of the name of it ...one of those things that's on the edge of your brain til you go to say it and then you lose it kinda things haha...we had a couple in our front yard by our house before the house fire a couple of years ago and couldn't kill the things and couldn't dig them up by root as there was no end to the root system it seemed...they just kept coming back and spreading...hubby refuses to have another one now that we finally got rid of the one we had and i can't say i blame him...i'm so surprised to see them everywhere for sale here as they seem really popular in the stores like lowe's ...

I don't mind weeds in my lawn so much because I can mow them to the same height as the grass, but I draw the line when they invade my flower beds. I like to pull them up after a rain has softened the ground. Some require more effort and a little digging by hand. I hate the ones that spread by runners underground.

My neighbor thinks my white clover is a weed and asked me when I was going to kill it. I love my clover and wouldn't think about harming it. It wouldn't bother me if it spread all over the yard - it tolerates drought, it has nice flowers, and it is easily cut to the same height as the grass.

Moonfire, the nandina 'Firepower' does not flower nor seed. The leaves are larger than most others and the color is great to have around the yard. Will spread out - only from original plant, no little ones coming up. May be others that do not reproduce from seed .??? The name 'Heavenly Bamboo' given to nandia is a little misleading, BUT fishing pole bamboo is another I have come to curse..

Sundog, at my age I still like to lay down on clover and watch the clouds pass by....close my eyes and listen to the birds. Did not know it was drought tolerate.....that is a +.

Took some pics yesterday. Here's a swamp filled with swamp flowers at Hwy. 52 and Rt. 153. I couldn't get any closer w/o fear of finding a snake. The white spots are all flowers:

{{gwi:361578}}
Roadside weeds in Geneva county:

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Some kind of Lonicera?:

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Ditch Gladiolus in N. FL:

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More ditch Gladiolus:

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Various little pretties at Hwy. 2 and CR 65 (Roping Rd.) in N. FL:

{{gwi:361586}}

Thanks much for pictures. Got to get another camera. The 1st picture looks like my front yard, side yard and back yard minus the swamp.

Is that rain clouds?

Gladiolus always had bad experiences with joseph, so I quit growing them. Every time I see gladiolus I want to make amends and buy several hundred. I will not !!!?!! One or two or maybe a dozen, but NO MORE than a dozen. No time soon.

Saw these weeds Tuesday.

Vibirnum? No idea...

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Erigeron I think:
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Multiflora rose:
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The Viburnum...I believe from looking at the leaf may be an Elderberry. If it is close enough to keep an eye on the flowers will be replaced with deep purple/black berries. You can make your own Elderberry Wine !

PS, it also looks like a plant that I had in Chelsea that has a similar flower and a more fern like leaf. Enlarged it as much as possible. Seems like it was in a Herb book..???.....I do tend to go in this direction rather than the Elderberry. Wish that I could find my Audubon book.

Pictures are so enjoyable to see what is going on at the Far Side.

I like to plant hunt, sorta like a gardeners Easter egg hunt...just more fun.

This post was edited by bulzi on Fri, May 31, 13 at 11:31

I'm not sure that's elderberry, although it's hard to tell from the picture. The flowers look too dense. Elderberry isn't blooming up here yet but is getting close to time, so it could be blooming down south a bit. Hemlock IS in bloom up here now, which also has black berries. They aren't that hard to tell apart once you get close, but use caution before foraging.

2nd pic is almost certainly flea bane (Erigeron philadelphicus)

Could it be Conium maculatum ( poison-hemlock). That is the other plant that I thought it could be. Had it in Chelsea in damp area, It grows to be about 5-6 ft tall. Impressive. More like Hemlock than Elderberry, I think...? The leaf looks a little like a yarrow , which the hemlock does have.

A small amount of this plant can make you very sick.

This post was edited by bulzi on Sat, Jun 1, 13 at 1:22

I'm not sure, not familiar with either plant. Drove by this stuff a lot again yesterday but it's too far from the road, even at 10 mph on the dirt road to see the leaves clearly in the mass of foliage. If I was interested in foraging, I'd get a good view of the leaves. There's nobody out there to hear a scream or call for help, so getting bit by a snake alone there would be a huge problem. Yikes! LOL!

Didn't notice anything new to report, except some semi-cultivated orange ditch lilies...

Been a slow time for weeds lately, whatever might-should be blooming at this time has had too much rain/too little sun. Haven't found anything to take a pic of, when it's not pouring rain, while I'm driving around.

Did see some kind of ditch-side Yucca yesterday with a grand, especially well-formed stalk of flowers, but just wasn't in the mood to take its' pic.

I don't mean to insult any of these plants by calling them weeds, BTW. Some are natives in natural areas, especially some pictured below, but all uncultivated as far as I can tell, though possibly encouraged by mowing around, or less frequently, or something like that. For the purposes of this discussion, I just mean to include plants we see making their own way out there.

What is going on out there lately?

When I started this, my imageshack account said mine was full of pics but that has changed and looking through pics today, I remembered I had a bunch from a friend's lake house last year, mid-October. Sorry, most will be unlabeled. I did put a few on NTP, but don't remember most anyway. In case somebody wants to mention one, or suggest ID, I'll give them numbers.

This whole group of plants confuses the heck out of me, but I think this is Persicaria? (ID'd as Polygonum persecaria, spotted lady's thumb.)
1 {{gwi:361594}}

Persicaria in white? (ID'd as Polygonum punctatum perhaps?)
2 {{gwi:361595}}

Pretty sure I asked about this one, but no matter what combo of words I tried googling, couldn't find the NTP post again. Growing in/at the edge of a lake/pond.
3 {{gwi:361596}}

Commelina, erecta or diffusa, to my untrained but appreciative eye, either is native.
4 {{gwi:361597}}

Same as above, with something yellow, and a lovely little fuchsia thing. (Something yellow ID'd as Sida rhombifolia.)
5 {{gwi:361598}}

Interesting red stems.
6 {{gwi:333404}}

Same thing? IDK. (ID'd as I believe Seedbox (Ludwigia alternifolia.)
7 {{gwi:361600}}

It would be daggone cute trailing out of a pot.
8 {{gwi:333715}}

I killed one of these in the lawn a while back and now regret it, haven't seen another. Similar to "daggone cute in a pot" from above, but many more petals on the flowers, different leaves. I think I asked about this one and it was native.
9 {{gwi:361602}}

Something yellow. (ID'd as might be Autumn Sneezeweed.)
10
{{gwi:361604}}

Interesting purple highlights.

1 - Polygonum persecaria, spotted lady's thumb
2 - Polygonum punctatum perhaps?

6&7 - not the same thing. The #6 plant has those tubular flowers and 4 yellow petals that are notched at the end and lanceolate leaves. #7 has a different petal and leaf shape. IDK what either is but #7 looks very familiar. It almost looks like St. Andrew's Cross, but it's not quite right.

#10 I can't get a close look at it from the photo, but might be Autumn Sneezeweed.

I'm stumped on most of them. If no one has any ideas I'll lug out some of the bigger plant books and see what I can find.

Thanks! Please don't make an effort at ID'ing the others unless you are bored or curious for yourself. I wasn't asking for ID's because I'm unlikely to remember them later. Sorry if I wasn't clear above, but, of course, when there's a pic, somebody will want to know what it is so it's likely to be appreciated even if nobody says anything. Sneezeweed is a good name, who can resist seeing if a cute little flower smells good? Sounds like efforts at sniffing that one result in unintended consequences! I did appreciate that ID, kinda chuckled. Pretty sure I took that pic from the truck, while still inside, so missed that unfortunate experience.

I wonder if all of this rain will make more or less blooms for most of these late'sters? (Mid-Oct.)

I like to look up IDs. It's hard to get good ideas on something like the little asters we have without the plant itself in front of you, and sometimes you need the seed or the seedling.

Unfortunately, I'm getting to the point where half the time though I'm convinced I should know something but can't remember!

I'm seeing a lot of spring blooming plants rebloom now. Plants are definitely confused this year. I suspect all the rain will make some bloom more and others less. The sumac is certainly having a good year. I need to get and harvest some soon.

#7 is, I believe Seedbox (Ludwigia alternifolia)
http://uswildflowers.com/detail.php?SName=Ludwigia%20alternifolia

Well if you're going to do that, we might learn more names that stay with us, I'll edit the pics if you're going to that effort, so they're with the pics. Rock on, girl!

Evening primrose (taken today)

Rare carolina lily (taken today)

The always lovely Passiflora incarnata or maypop (with hitchhikers). Taken last week.

#5 above is Sida rhombifolia

Awesome additions, and pics! Anyone is welcome to add their weed pics here, please.

Well it's been almost a whole year of weeds, though I hope to add more pics over the next year. There's something blooming every month, for sure.

1A - (Ipomoea) Morning glories on the post at the corner.
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2A - The road. I was dumbstruck and humbled yesterday when I realized how many plants are using the same space, especially on the side of this road, but even on the roadsides that get mowed a few times a year. I think I am gardening, but could never create a 'flower bed' with such effect. At any given time, it looks like 'a few' plants are the only ones there, always full and green, but after watching the roadside all year, we know there are countless others, waiting for their time to be the star of the show again... At times it looks like the whole thing is nothing but Verbena, then something else completely covers, then something else...

Amazing and educational, even if they aren't the plants one would choose to put in a tended yard!! This is the same road where plants pictured above on 5/7/13 (except the first 2 pics of that days' post,) and all on 5/31/13 were taken, as of yesterday.
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3A - some kind of Verbena.
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4A - No idea, more tiny purple flowers
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5A - foliage of 4A
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6A - I showed Callicarpa before, but this little shrub was too perfect to not re-share
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7A - Ipomoea quamoclit Apparently comes in white and red. Good eye Nicole for noticing the MG!
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8A - not all of the tiny red vine flowers are the same, some are more orange and rounded, not star-shaped, and obviously very different foliage from I. quamoclit. Another Ipomoea?
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9A - Solidago.
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10A - White 'daisies' with proportionately large yellow centers.
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11A - Primrose (Oenothera?) Wilted yellow flowers didn't show up well at all.
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12A - This was my fav of the whole day, one of the 84 Desmodium in AL (according to USDA plants DB.) Looks like tiny 'bleeding hearts' flowers. So glad I noticed this plant, the only one I saw on the mile of this road I travel. Whole plant:

7A is cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) mixed in with that morning glory.

14A appears to be Hoary Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum).

I agree about the Mountain Mint in 14A and solidago in 9A.

I love your eye for the subtler beauties of nature we too often take for granted or don't even see because we're zipping past them at 70 miles an hour and never get out of the car. I grew up in Birmingham, but we spent a lot of time in Barbour County where I wandered the countryside on our farm and explored dirt roads like these. Much of this kind of land is being swallowed up by "civilization" and life moves on, but it's hard not to be a bit nostalgic for the "good old days" and untended countryside. Thanks for sharing your pictures.

Glad you've enjoyed them, Catbird!

Another trip to the wilderness yesterday. I swapped some pics from the last post for better ones from a real camera. Here's some 'habitat' shots. It was a beautiful weed-day!

1B:
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2B:
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3B:
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4B: Vines spotted adjacent to McDonald's in Geneva (oops, this is out of order, can you deal with it?):
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5B:
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6B:
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7B:
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8B:
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9B:
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10B:
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11B:
Spermacoce glabra:
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12B: Ageratum/Eupatorium?:
{{gwi:361657}}

13B: Crotalaria lanceolata:
{{gwi:332991}}

13Bb: More C. lanceolata:
{{gwi:332992}}

14B: Lespedeza of unknown species:
{{gwi:361660}}

15B: A patch of Crotalaria and a swarm of some kind of butterflies:

This post was edited by purpleinopp on Thu, Oct 10, 13 at 10:25

I love these flowers, so they must be weeds. I love them, I just don't love where they're growing. Anyone have any idea what they may be? I'm in Tuscaloosa. They seem to be annuals since I pull them up every year, and they grow back the next year.

Looks like Conoclinium coelestinum, AKA Ageratum. Only grows where it's unwanted, it seems.

This post was edited by purpleinopp on Wed, Oct 9, 13 at 16:45

I've always heard it called Blue Mistflower, but I agree with the ID. It's perennial but it's also pretty good at reseeding itself..

Some habitat shots from yesterday. Will put more close-ups of individuals soon.

1C
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2C
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3C
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4C
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5C
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6C
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This post was edited by purpleinopp on Thu, Oct 10, 13 at 9:11

I believe 12A is beggar's lice.

Ain't it great that love bugs don't bite!

This is the Let's Make Peace with What Ails Us thread. lol Round-Up is my best friend, so I feel I'm amongst enemies here. :-)

We have some gorgeous large white flowers that grow on vines all in our trees up and down the west end of highway 613/Airport Blvd in Mobile County on into Mississippi (I forget the time of year they come out). They look like they came out of a story book -- perfect large flowers with bright yellow centers. I pulled off the side of the road one day to pick some to take to my green-thumb mother to identify for me (she couldn't).....turns out, they were thorny vines. MEAN thorns. Much prettier from the road. :-)

TY, JC. Is that a common name of Desmodium?

"Round-Up is my best friend, so I feel I'm amongst enemies here."
Hithere, Day. No enemies at all! These aren't garden pics, they're taken in the wild, along the road on most cases. While I enjoy seeing these things in that context, most of these plants would be pulled in my neighborhood yard. Some might have a pasture or wild area for wild plants, I wish I did.

I'll put some more pics up soon!

p'opp,

The seed pods of beggars's lice is covered in millions of tiny hairs that are almost Velcro like which enables them to latch onto people and animals.

TY, I appreciate the input and that's interesting, I like it when common names make sense in some way.

But I don't know if you're disagreeing with Desmodium, or adding a common name for it. I didn't handle the plant, just put my hand behind it and turn parts of it, don't know what those zig-zag pods feel like.

I don't know what the exact scientific name is but that is the common name I have always heard it called.

I did end up going back to check the Desmodium seeds, and you're right, they turned into velcro!

Henbit (Lamium) has started blooming, wild mustard, some Trifolium clovers.

This is much more impressive in person. Absolutely loved yesterday's drive past all the pretty purple patches!

Spotted this week, violets.

Unknown cutie #1.

Bluish purple cutie who's name I forget every year.

Second tiny white mystery.

The smallest Oxalis (?) I've ever seen.

"Second tiny white mystery" is mouse-eared chickweed. Regular chickweed is also blooming now.

"Purple cutie" is Quaker Ladies, or Bluets (Houstonia caerulea). Speedwell also has tiny blue flowers and is blooming now.

The little blueish flowers remind me of blue eyed grass which is actaully the smallest of the lily family (maybe it is orchids or iris).

We had absolutely terrible weather yesterday. Heavy winds and more soaking rains were not good.

I would like to know what this plant is named and more about it. It is growing in a shallow ditch alongside the county road. I have lived here for 64 years and have never noticed this plant before. My brother is not familiar with it either. The ditch is well drained with grass and other weeds growing. It has a tiny flower on a short stalk. The leaves are purplish-red and covered with short hairs. There is no noticeable odor to the plants.

Another picture of this plant.