Thanks for the quick ID, peren.all. If it is A. vulgaris, sounds like I'll be busy yanking these for a while. My plant appears to be what's shown on this site as A. vulgaris. Mugwort is one of the most pernicious weeds there is! Oh, joy...

Check the smell when you crush the leaves. Artemisia leaves have a very particular smell.

Omar

Omar -- it did have a fragrance to it (did the leaf test earlier today), much like the sage we use at Thanksgiving time.

The note on the root barrier is significant since it will continue to appear without something to stop it. I also found when this appeared in my mom’s garden with clay based soil, the roots tended to break off and were difficult to fully remove. So you may need to dig out and leave the soil in a bucket somewhere dry and dark to kill it off completely.

sounds like I'll be busy yanking these for a while.

==>>> when it was suggested that you will need to dig deep to put in a barrier.. indicates to me.. that you will NEVER stop it by just yanking at it ... babs agrees ... and i renote ....

with this one.. its a battle for world dominance .... take it seriously ....

ken

I do not have direct experience with A. vulgaris, but the lobes and terminal leaf segments seem to be pretty rounded for that species. Also, A. vulgaris has never been collected in Texas, according to the BONAP maps. For me, it looks like it belongs to the Umbelliferae family.

Two words: oh, noooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

peren.all: Why type of physical barrier would you suggest, and how far down is 'deep'? I'm not on bad terms with my neighbor at all: just don't know know them. Based on the slew of planting activity this year over there, I now wonder if they intentionally planted this as a medicinal herb. Speaking of barriers, language will be one: I never hear English spoken.

NHBabs: Thanks for the tips (I'm feeling punny this morning - humor is helping mitigate somewhat the feeling of utter dread creeping into my morning as I read all these comments). Ours is also clay soil, so I'll take extra care.

ken-adrian: Thanks for your usually helpful advice. I have two neighboring yards along this fence line that are creating multiple battles for world dominance, actually. Very frustrating. For the past few years, I've been playing whack-a-mole with the elephant ears shoots just as soon as I see their tips erupt. So far, so good. As Omar well knows, I now have multiple Passiflora incarnata 'Incense' (we think -- will confirm once they flower) sprouts on our side, which I welcome for the Gulf fritillaries. And, now, the artemisia. (In the other yard -- a rental property, so no one gives a hoot -- far too many volunteer hackberries have taken hold and are thriving. The best I can do is prune back the branches on my side before the woolly aphids start their honey dew mess.)

I hesitate to ask: no scolding, please. But would a confined application of RoundUp work on artemisia? Ever since I got serious about my butterfly garden (host and nectar plants for all flutterers and hummers that cruise through), I've sworn off the stuff. But the artemisia worries me. When the Elephant ears were going crazy years ago, I'd spritz RoundUp on a paper towel, wrap the sprouted leaves in the paper towel, then sealed with a plastic bag. That decreased the numbers to a point where I can pull here and there. TIA, everyone.

It also doesn't help that we're having a warmer winter than usual. Generally, highs have been in the 60s (70 yesterday and today!), with lows in the 40s.

jekeesl and all: Let me know if posting better pics (and what part of the plant specifically to shoot) would help narrow an ID. It was difficult climbing around the rose bushes, etc to get the in-ground shot I posted.

I googled Umbelliferae (carrots, parsley, celery, etc), but those leaves are actually more pointy than what I have...no? My mom used to grow Chinese celery in her garden; and at first I thought that's what this was. But I recall those leaves being pointier and more rigid; and they grew on taller, skinny, firm stalks.

RU is how i beat it back ... ken

Javiwa, if you pull a single plant by hand and it has an intact taproot, then it isn't Artemisia vulgaris. That species is a deeply-rooted perennial.

Basal leaves are often difficult to identify. So just let one grow and see what type of flowers it produces. Then it can be properly identified. If Umbelliferae, those often flower in the spring. As long the test plant is removed before seeds develop, you won't have any fears of infestation from the experiment.

Looks to me as if it has a creeping rootstock rather than a taproot.

We're getting a respite from the rain, so the soil will be less soggy today. I'll do a little excavating and see if I can determine whether it's creeping rootstock of straight-down taproot. Thanks again, all.

Sure looks like mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, to me!! And I am unfortunately more than a little familiar with this plant :-( Both the reddish-purplish stem and pale leaf undersides are quite characteristic, as is the leaf shape, which gives rise to one of the common names of chrysanthemum weed.

And since this plant has naturalized widely across the US as well as being intentionally planted by many herbalists (and unknowing gardeners), it could very well appear just about anywhere! It is both very cold and heat tolerant and can grow in just about any soil condtion. so not much will limit its spread once established.

not much will limit its spread once established Another gauntlet thrown down! ;)

BTW, gardengal, those leaves did remind me most of chrysanthemums, but not as dark (IIRC).

I don't know if it's just wishful thinking on my part, but there do seem to be lateral root connections between plants. I brush away the leaves and top layer of soil to expose as much as I could:

The soil is still very damp, and I couldn't brush away any more without damaging the many roots which run rather close to the surface.

Close-ups of the leaves:

Sorry to say the lateral roots just under the soil is only the beginning. That is only the top growth and they will run much deeper. Perhaps I am being too pessimistic and you will be lucky that they have not grabbed a better foothold- so far. It will keep coming under the fence even if you resort to using RoundUp.

Pernicious is an extremely polite term for this menace. Like gardengal48 I speak from experience.

Heavy duty polyethylene root barrier that is a minimum of 24" deep would be my recommendation. Tree root barrier is 30" deep. Home Depot or other similar places should carry it or you could order it online. Since you have other aggressive plants coming in from neighbouring yards you may choose to install this in other areas as well.

Thanks again, peren.all. It's only one yard (the other) where we have issues with the hackberry army. Too late for a root barrier there, as these trees are already upwards of 25' tall. I may start with a 12" deep barrier and see where this goes -- 24" is just too daunting, particularly with our gumbo soil. And the area is tough to reach (excuses, excuses...I know). Just poking around today to carefully dig out what I could (to include as much root as possible), it's tough discerning the good roots from the bad. But I did indeed catch this early, as they just started poking through a month or two ago. Maybe DH will just hammer down an ugly piece of aluminum flashing and call it done. :)

When I lived in NY, I had a lady knock on my door and ask for the mugwort growing wild on my property. She pulled up every last bit of it. She valued it as a herbal tonic of some sort.

Neighbors, it's always something like dogs or invasive plants. Hope your neighnors don't plant any running bamboo javi lol.

Oh, I don't need my neighbors teaching me the 'bamboo' lesson, Jay! I went and did that all by myself many years ago -- yet another lesson learned the hard way. Isn't that just how gardening goes? :)

Did you make that blunder in Texas or CaliforniA? I did the running bamboo too, P. nuda, the most hardy running one. You should get even and plant a honeyvine in that area lol! Why don't you put the passionflowers there. Maybe they might form a barrier. I know you've already thought this all out.

There must be a reason lol! Or those syriacas? Are they still in the pots? Fight fire with fire haha.

Texas, Jay; and it was nandina domestica...a whole bunch of them! :) With my luck, any 'retribution' would likely backfire. Actually this is the exact same area where the (same) neighbor's Passiflora incarnata 'Incense' is poking through -- and I think I want those. (Famous last words...check back with me next August: you all may need to talk me off the ledge!) So, actually, as I go through and pull up what I think are artemisia roots, I may inadvertently damage the passionflower.

(Haha...have thought not enough out!)

This is a full-afternoon-sun part of the yard, and I've already noticed the syriaca doesn't appreciate our heat. Remember, the seeds sprouted very easily; but as soon as the seedlings reached ~ 4-5" in height, they just shriveled and died. I did set the pots (and yogurt cups) aside, in case they come back this spring.

Would the passionflowers do well there? I think you already have trellices for those right? I wonder if a mature syriaca could handle your heat. Do you ever talk with your neighbors. They must know their plants are spreading in your yard. A barrier seems like an awful lot of work.

Heavenly bamboo is not technically real bamboo. I don't think lucky bamboo is either. ( I'll check). I grew unlucky bamboo. What a mistake! lol.

Jay: The neighbor's creeping passionflower vine is already making its way up the trellis I put up, yes. They realize their PV has invade the other neighbor's yard, as it's clear the vine has wrapped itself up in and among this neighbor's hackberry branches. And one day, it looks like they pulled it back over to their side: a nice gesture, I think. I don't think they would have any idea about the invaders into my yard. No, I never see these folks. I'd have to get up on a ladder to catch a glimpse of them over the fence (but I'd have to stalk them first and listen for them -- they're not out much in the late fall/winter). I'm hoping I caught this early enough that I'll just deal with it. For now, anyway. I mean, I really can't ask them to dig theirs up. And it's possible the damage has already been done.

Yeah, I know. It's hard dealing with neighbors. I need to ask mine if I can saw off one of his oak branch that's hanging over my yard. It's already starved for sun as it is.