I'm turning to the community out of desperation ... at my whits end trying to identify the following, which are taking over my garden, including encroachment into my lawn :O( No1. Must be spreading by underground runners as there have been no flowers to date. Leaves are alternating with 4 per node (2 coming out each side of the node - the one closest to the stalk is quite a bit smaller), each leaf is actually 3 leaves with the centre leaf longer and wider than the side leaves. Leaf edges are toothed. Stalk is green and round The plant has no distinct smell. Plants are ~ 2' high in late July / SW Ontario. [1st & 2nd pics in top row & root-only pic in 2nd row] No2. Original guesses include violet or wild ginger or garlic mustard but there have been no flowers to date and though root smells a bit radishy leaves have no scent. All leaves come out of single node just above ground level. Leaves are round, lobed, with deep cut where they join to the stem. Leaf diameter ~5" on largest plants with plant ~ 1' tall in late July / SW Ontario. [3rd & 4th pics in top row] No3. Cotyledons round and leaves initially opposite with 4 per node, then alternating with main leaf slightly lobed & oblong and smaller leaflettes growing closer to node. Appears to make non-descript flowers (small pale green) at leaf nodes once more mature. [Right-foreground 3rd pic in top row & last pic] Hoping that someone can shed some light on No1 & No2 ... No3 ID would just be a bonus. I will monitor and post more pics if something indicative happens ;o) Many thanks for any & all feedback, Ruth
1,2 Bidens sp. Last image appears to be Acalypha rhomboidea. http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/acalypharhom.html
Thanks goes out to both garden enthusiast so far :O) SaltCedar - I eagerly await the yellow flowers the bidens species is p\urported to produce :O) and appreciate bonus identification of # 3 i.e., 'Acalypha rhomboidea' - good find ... all details in provided link seem to match. Do you just know these things or have you found better ID tools? Most ID tools I have stumbled across are plant lists by name, incomplete galleries of photos, and/or keys that don't lead to conclusive results :O( Ron B - Funny thing happened today while preparing the gravel base for my small patio ... the garlic mustard plant you ID'd that I pulled from the side of the excavated area had a tuberous root the size of my thumb (hadn't scene that before)! ... but it was unfortunately scentless and tasteless (yes, I cleaned it and cut out a portion to eat - I'm sure that this will someday lead to my demise .. lol!) So I am now just waiting for the upright stalks to grow out of these rosette base leaves ... seems a bit late in the season given that the gardens I maintain in the area had the traditional garlic mustard growth in the spring? ... perhaps newly seeded ones are late 'bloomers'? Thanks for assisting me in my decision on whether to propagate these uninvited guests. Cheers, Ruth
I mostly learn about new plants by people asking for ID's. After while you begin to recognize the families even if you don't know the exact species. Some Bidens are white and at least one has no petals at all!
