Need help with new yard: plant identification and care instructions

8 years ago

Hi all, we just moved in to our very first home in northern Alabama (yay!). Having never owned a yard before and no knowledge of botanics at all, I was hoping I can get some help with 1. identifying what are the plants in our yard and 2. what are some basic maintenance/trimming/feeding procedures I need to be aware of. I have included pictures below with specific questions. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!!

Exhibit 1a and 1b. Are they weeds?

Exhibit 2: what should I do with this shrub.. I tried trimming it it's just a tangled mess

Exhibit 3: what is the plant in front left, and what are the 3 small ones behind with jagged leaves, should I remove them?

Exhibit 4: I keep getting maple branches sprouting up. Anything else I should do beside pulling them up? also, I have a few of this kind of small shrub that are not doing so well. What can I do?

That's it for now. Thanks again for any answers you can offer!

Phoenix

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Comments (5)

tndaisy
8 years ago
I can help you with some of these: 1a&b are weeds. 3- the plant on the left is a hydrangea and the sprouts appear to be hollies. You could dig instead of pull and pot them to later plant them in an appropriate space.
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ourhighlandhome
8 years ago
1a/b. Weeds, obnoxious ones. Name doesn't come to mind.

2. Maybe jasmine 'nudiflorum' (winter jasmine) or some type of horizontal-growing cotoneaster. Both can make, as you say, a tangled mass, but both are well worth growing if you don't mind a little judicious pruning every year or so.

3. Some type of hydrangea 'macrophylla'. Yours looks better than the dozen or so I've managed to kill over the years - I'd say it's a "keeper". The holly seedlings are an all-too-common pest. Pull them early and often, plus they come up in the very worst of places!

4. Some type of azalea? If so I say toss 'em in favor or something else that would appreciate the space. They look to be the cheap, common (Walmart) variety that are overused by landscapers as "foundation plants".

5. Welcome to the Alabama forum!

6. ROOT for Alabama ;-D

7. Consider attending our Fall plant swap. We are meeting in Gadsden this year on the 17th of this month and would love to load you down with plants, especially since you seem new to the area.

I never miss the opportunity to shamelessly post a picture from the yard. This one is 'Incense' passionflower.

Nelson
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User
Original Author
8 years ago
thank you tddaisy and ourhighlandhome! just what I was looking for. Now I can spend some quality time Sunday getting acquainted with the yard, or just get rid of the human size weed that I am sure all our neighbors are tired of looking at by now.

That is quite a mesmerizingly beautiful picture Nelson! Thanks for the tips. I won't be around for this plant swap but would be nice to attend the next time around and learn a thing or two.

Phoenix
jeff_al
8 years ago
those are not maples. they are sweetgum seedlings. you must have a larger specimen nearby with the spiky balls falling into your beds. they are very weedy and you should pull them while they are young. the only redeeming quality for those trees to me are that finches will feed on the tiny seeds inside.

I also thought of cotoneaster for the sprawling groundcover but don't grow it and am not sure.

if those are holly seedlings they probably came from the taller evergreen plant near the downspout. I only have one holly (oakleaf) and it never produces seedlings. I did not realize that they were prone to produce plantlets like that. I keep getting something similar looking coming up occasionaly in my beds that has serrated juvenile leaves but they are not hollies. I thought they might be some type of photinia, laurel or something else.

and as nelson mentions, root for 'bama!
User thanked jeff_al
OutsidePlaying
8 years ago
I agree with everything ourhighlandhome & jeff said. But regarding #2, I'm wondering if that is Wintercreeper (a type of euonymous) rather than a holly or cotoneaster. I'm really not sure either, but if it appears to be attaching itself to anything that would be one way to tell. If so, I'd probably get rid of it unless you are prepared to keep trimming it back. Yes, root for Bama!!
User thanked OutsidePlaying

Need help with new yard: plant identification and care instructions

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tndaisy

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tndaisy

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jeff_al

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