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Name That Plant!

Help with ID’s wildflowers/weeds

Dillybeansown (6b in the Ozarks)

5 years ago

The first is an absolately lovely little shrubby thing. It has alternate leaves, and flower clusters all along the stem, at each leaf joint, somewhat resembling monarda. Reminds me of spirea in a lot of ways.

It is growing in full shade right now, along the edge of a wood. Very wiry, sparse stems, 24” high or so. Just started blooming about a week ago.

The second is a dreadful weed that is taking over our property, but the flowers themselves make wonderful additions to arrangements as a filler! It gets 7 to 8’ tall, and is just everywhere. Likes the sun.

Featured Answer

weedwoman

5 years ago

The flowers on the second plant really look like ragweed flowers to me. 8 feet tall could be Giant Ragweed, Ambrosia trifida. The leaves I can see in the photo don't look quite right, but a larger image should make it clearer. Or it could be a different species from the two common ones I'm familiar with. USDA lists a bunch of species and I don't have time to go through them now.

On a side note, while looking for this I went to the Dan Tenaglia's old Missouri Plants website and discovered that the Missouri Botanical Garden has taken it over and is updating it. That site was the first wildflower ID site I found on the internet back when all this was pretty new and was a real inspiration to me about what you could do along those lines, as well as being a very useful ID tool. It still is, for that matter. I'm really glad it's being continued.

WW

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Comments (10)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Can you describe the flowers of the second one?

btw I think you meant to say opposite leaves for the top one.

And could you show us pictures of the plants growing so we can see them the right way up and their habit and leaves?
carol23_gw
5 years ago
Perhaps the first could be Cunila origanoides.

http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/cuor.html
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WELL...last night someone on name that plant forum indicated that it was called Yellowrocket, which led to finding that it is probably a very close relative of Yellowrocket: Wild Radish. Whis is a very close relative to Wild Mustard :-) The only reason it can't be Yellowrocket is because the stems and leaves have tiny hairs, which indicates it is Wild Radish. However. I have seen pics of Wild Radish now on Google Images that don't look like this plant, and some that show Yellowrocket looking dead-on accurate, save for the leaves. Ha. At any rate, I'm pulling them up...tis' not to be... Thanks so much for your help, timbu and fammsimm. Now I am also familiar with two other kinds of weeds, so if I spot them, I'll know right away :-) Joanna
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I can't tell from the link to white avens if thats the first plant. not enough of the leaf shows on the picture to compare it. I'll look at some other databases maybe to see if there's a better leaf pix. I thought the second plant might be an astilbe - the leaves are so similar to my large astilbes, but these are so much shorter. I'll have to research and see if there's a low growing or creeping one. thanks for the help. oh and I think I might have figured out the pix thing - so here's another! Here is a link that might be useful:
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I think #1 is a type of Ladies Thumb. White, insignificant flowers in a cluster... #2 is a Deptford Pink. Nice, delicate...will pop up wherever. #3 is Partridgeberry. #4 is Asiatic Dayflower. All four of these are "wildflowers," or "weeds," depending on who is looking at them! I would pull up #1...not much to look at. I have #2, and leave them in my garden...they are briefly pretty--don't do well as a cut flower, though. Some people pay money for #3--I think it's a pretty little groundcover. #4, well, that's up to you. I'm not sure how invasive they get...if they are taking up prime garden real estate, I'd yank 'em! Emily
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A weed is a flowering plant and is probably wild somewhere on the planet though many in the us are european in origin. I love my plants that some see as being weeds, such as Rumex. But the rule is if you do not like it then get rid of it. Grow what you like. In the right place these undesirable plants may look quite appropriate. Just not where you want them to be!!
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Dillybeansown (6b in the Ozarks)
Original Author
5 years ago
Floral, yes, opposite leaves. Thank you :) I’ll get the picture of the second plant in all its glory.

carol, that’s exactly what it is!! Thank you! I’m definitely lighted to find out what it is, and that I can hope for frost flowers later in the year!
Dillybeansown (6b in the Ozarks)
Original Author
5 years ago
Weedwoman, thank you! I think you’ve come pretty close on it. I don’t think I need to take a larger photo, after all. After looking at what you suggested, I think it is definitely either that, or something very close to it. I just needed a general ID, so thank you very much!
carol23_gw
5 years ago
Just so you are aware, it's Ambrosia , ragweed , that is one cause of hay fever.

The plants are wind pollinated, not by insects, so the pollen is airborne.
Dillybeansown (6b in the Ozarks)
Original Author
5 years ago
Lol. Yeah, I realized after getting the ID that I shouldn’t be using it in bouquets!
Dillybeansown (6b in the Ozarks)
Original Author
5 years ago

But it’s so pretty. Sigh.
dbarron
5 years ago
Lol, perhaps laminating it with hairspray would stop pollen escaping (silly idea, I know...but?)
weedwoman
5 years ago
I have to admit, your pretty bouquet made me LOL too, but seriously, don't let anybody who gets hayfever near it. My poor mother sniffled and sneezed for two solid months every fall because of that stuff. Funnily, the first frost stopped it completely. She grew up in western PA and never had a problem with it until she moved to Ohio; even then, if she went back to Pennsylvania she had a much milder reaction. So we always visited the grandparents in August...

WW

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