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I don't have a picture so I'll be as descriptive as I can.
It's in my CONTAINERS on my front porch, not the ground. I don't know if it's something I planted and now don't like. It comes back every year. Actually I've had the containers for over 5 years, I've only seen this the last 2. It doesn't look like anything I think I would intentionally plant. It could definitely take over a pot if you let it.
-- Maryland Zone 7
-- a PROLIFIC, fast grower, I'd say grows a little more wide than tall
-- reddish stems, with 'knots' or darkish rings along the shaft of the stem,
-- growth habit I'd say is sort of wild -- meaning no DEFINED growth habit -- definitely more 'all over the place' than orderly.
-- lots of leaves, but not really a FLOWERER
-- green leaves with a dark/blackish dot in the center of the green leaf
(it's not mottled with black dot(s) -- more like ONE black dot the size of a coin in the center leave, which is about 2-and-a-half inches long, and not that wide, but not that thin either
-- strong roots (when I pull it out -- I have to YANK. You know how with many weeds the roots are weak you can just pull them out. Not this baby. I have to PULL. It's grown in hard.)
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I don't want to throw you off -- could this be a bamboo of some kind? And could birds have done this to me?
I've been doing plant ID for a long time and love a challenge but nothing I can think of fits what is being described well enough to even guess.
Most of the description doesn't help with the ID to be perfectly honest. There are not many single spot leaved plants/weeds, there aren't too many plants with red/reddish stems. I would have guessed 'spotted spurge' based on those two parts of the general description.
I doubt highly it is either of the above but wanted to give you something to look at and compare.
The rest of the description about growth habit (not orderly), roots and speed of growth are all relative and might be nice when talking about how to grow something or maybe how to get rid if a weed but it really does not help at all with ID.
If you cannot figure out how to post a picture then please try to supply the following.
What is the leaf size? (example they are 3 inches long and close to 1 inch wide)
What is the leaf shape?
Does the leaf have a smooth edge or is it jagged?
Do the leaves come out opposite each other on the stem or do they alternate? If neither, do they come out in a group (poison ivy is a group of three for example).
Are there many stems coming up from the ground or a single stem with many branches?
How tall is it and how wide is it ? As it grows does it spread or get taller or both?
Flowers are not always obvious but "not a flowerer" could mean only one or two flowers, too small flowers to notice or flowers that are not colorful enough to stand out. Please say which if you can.
Is this growing in full sun/part sun/shade?
This would be a start, but truly an in focus picture is worth a whole lot more for ID.
Being totally digital photog illiterate, I'll try to get someone to help me load a photo (which of course, I have to take, first)
In the meantime I'll report back with answers to those additional questions.
I think it might be bamboo related, because it grows so quickly -- and has slight ridge 'rings' an inch apart up and down the stem -- like bamboo does. And it's not a big flowerer.
Being totally digital photog illiterate, I'll try to get someone to help me load a photo (which of course, I have to take, first)
In the meantime I'll report back with answers to those additional questions.
I think it might be bamboo related, because it grows so quickly -- and has slight ridge 'rings' an inch apart up and down the stem -- like bamboo does. And it's not a big flowerer.
Find somebody with a smart phone. They can take a photo and post it easily. Especially if they are under the age of 12.
I've called two neighbors who have teenagers for some help...with posting a picture. (I'm THINKING about getting a smart phone, but I can't work the cell phone I've got!)
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What is the leaf size? (example they are 3 inches long and close to 1 inch wide) -- 3 inches long by 1/2 wide
What is the leaf shape? -- diamond or tear-drop -- meaning thinner at both ends wider in the middle
Does the leaf have a smooth edge or is it jagged? -- smooth
Do the leaves come out opposite each other on the stem or do they alternate? If neither, do they come out in a group (poison ivy is a group of three for example). -- they are about an inch apart along the stem, spaced where the dark rings are -- but it looks like it could be one on the left, then one on the right, then two an inch apart on the same side -- and then maybe one or two or one on the other side...along the stem. Definitely leaves spaced at about equal intervals along the stem. No clusters or multi-leaf heads.
Are there many stems coming up from the ground or a single stem with many branches? Multiple individual stems from the soil.
How tall is it and how wide is it ? As it grows does it spread or get taller or both? 12-18 inches tall by 18 inches wide. Has gotten even bigger when I let it go all over the place.
Flowers are not always obvious but "not a flowerer" could mean only one or two flowers, too small flowers to notice or flowers that are not colorful enough to stand out. Please say which if you can. If you press me on the flowers, I'd say inch and and-a-half long thinnish clusters of small bead-type flowers. But not really like berries cluster.
Is this growing in full sun/part sun/shade? Mostly sun -- in a pot along the edge of a south-facing covered porch. So sun while the sun comes up and gets over and under the porch, but then as expected, shade once the sun passes over. But I'd still say mostly sun.
With the additional information I think you have one of the group of weeds (wildflowers to some) generally called "Willow weeds" or "smartweeds." They are cousins with knotweeds so I wasn't too far off with my original examples. They have narrow leaves somewhat similar to willow leaves, some have a dark leaf spot and some have one less visible.
The Latin name would be Polygonum. There are a few similar ones in this country making me hesitate to make any further ID without a picture. Some have broader leaves than you describe (Japanese Knotweed for example). The following may include your mystery plant:
Oooh thanks! You are so good. Are you a botanist, wow!
I think we have a winner. I've looked at pics and it's polygonum persicaria!
That shape of leaf with the spot in the middle is exactly what I was talking about. The ridges where the leaf comes from the stem. The stalks that just sort of grow all over the place! That's it.
Do they sell seeds for this or is it truly mostly a weed. And how could I have gotten it?
Birds, bad grass seed. It's in a pot, not the ground so I'm really stumped about where it came from.
Could it have been in with seeds I bought, or in with a plant I bought?
(MD Zone 7)
Last edited by selhars; 06-05-2013 at 06:54 PM..
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This is a leaf picture from here:
