Weed ID!

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I'm eternally grateful to J_B for helping me ID the garlic mustard as the stuff running rampant in my yard last year. A weed is a weed is a weed, but not all weeds are created equal -- for example, virgina bluebell is an ideal "weed'" because it's purty and fades into nothing once it's done flowering.

Plus, knowing what it was, I was able to research garlic mustard and find out, for example, that breaking the stems as close to the ground as possible when it has just flowered will kill it. (Great news because I've been trying to get the whole kit 'n' kaboodle out and am not always successful, so now I can just leave it when it naturally snaps at the base rather than digging out the root...)

So, anyone know what this is?

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/sozobe/weed2.jpg

I just grabbed one and scanned it. It's bent in two. There is an outside possibility that it's purposeful groundcover, which is the other thing I'd like to figure out. It's kind of prickly/ stinging-nettle-ish when touched, but very minor. No marks on my hand that I can see.

THANKS!

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Actual size of the right side -- bend to top -- is 7 1/4 inches.

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Sorry soz can't help. I thought maybe you had found some pot growing near your house or something Crying or Very sad

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I've never seen it before... (I don't think).

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This looks interesting.. haven't checked it out yet.

http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/weed-id/weedid.htm

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Sorry to disappoint you, flushd. ;-)

I checked that Osso, thanks, didn't see my weed.

If nothing comes up here, I'll probably take it to OSU to see if they can ID it for me, but thought I'd try here first since I had such good luck with the garlic mustard.

It likes the same conditions as garlic mustard -- semi-shady (though it seems to have more tolerance for sun), woodsy/ acidic soil.

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bedstraw?

http://www.rcre.rutgers.edu/weeds/weed.asp?bedstraw

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Hey!

How'd you do that?

Looks like a great match:

http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/Veg&Repro/V&R050.jpg

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Dingdingding we have a winner:

Quote:

Bedstraw, also called catchweed, is a winter annual. The leaves of bedstraw are formed in whorls containing 6 - 8 leaves around square stems. The leaves are narrow to lanceolate in shape with bristles along the edges. Spines at the base of leaves allow bedstraw to cling to objects. The stems of bedstraw are weak and form mats of plants.

The bedstraw flower contains 4 white petals formed on stems originating from leaf axils.

Bedstraw spreads by seed. Bedstraw is found throughout North America.

(Just checked, square stems.)

Dang, positive ID in 13 minutes, I love this place!

Thanks Osso!

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I agree with Osso--bedstraw.

Bedstraw is in the "useful" weed category.

Bedstraw is rather fragrant when dried and used to be used to stuff mattresses.

Gypsy legend says that on the Flight to Egypt, Mary gathered bedstraw for the Christ Child's bedding.

The clinging quality means that children can make initials or simple line drawings on their shirts with tendrils of bedstraw.

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OK, so now to figure out if they are in the garlic mustard category (terribly invasive, choke out other vegetation, damaging to some breeds of butterflies, etc.) or virginia bluebell (basically benign). I saw lots of references to them as a weed, but also this:

Quote:

If you decide to include Western red lilies in your natural habitat garden, note that they require moist areas, so select low ground and shaded areas. Good companion plants for Western Red Lily are the pink-flowered onion, harebell, saline shooting star, northern bedstraw, American sweet vetch, meadow blazingstar, star-flowered Solomon's seal, early blue violet, smooth camas, and meadow parsnip.

I'd love to have a natural habitat garden, I want native plants if they're not nefarious.

Will keep looking...

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And there was Noddy answering my question while I was typing it.

Yay!

(Thanks!)

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Each of the links I looked at, maybe even that first one, had lists of weed id websites, and about the third one I looked at was that Rutgers one. So it was just luck that I ran across it.

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I'd vote for keeping the bedstraw. It is shallowly rooted so if it wanders, it can be curbed without earth moving equipment and survival gear. Besides, I'm a sucker for plants with stories.

P.S. Also known as "Our Lady's Bedstraw". Gypsies are pious when pious doesn't interfere with making a dishonest living.

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I love a plant with a story meself.

I got a bunch more garlic mustard out and left the bedstraw -- I think it looks nice. It's a much lighter green than the underlying ivy, and airy and lacy compared to the stolid ivy leaves. And definitely looks easy to grab big swaths of it if I decide it's causing problems.

Thanks again, everyone! This yard is high-maintenance as-is (though part of what I'm trying to do is change that, make it more self-sustaining/ natural/ native) and it's great to know what requires attention and what's OK to leave since I can't possibly get everything.

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On Bedstraw:

http://www.allfiberarts.com/library/dyeplants/blgalliumverum.htm

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/b/bedlad25.html

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Petty Mugget!!!! (2nd link)

Now there would be a fine screen name..

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Fer sure!

"Galium" rang a bell, "odoratum" mentally attatched itself, I googled that combo and came up with Sweet Woodruff, which I'd been considering planting. Looks like it's in the same family. Cool.

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I've only just looked at this thread, and knew it straight away.

We get tons of the stuff here, and everyone knows it as "stickybuds".

I have also heard it called "cleavers" once or twice. A bloody annoying weed that sticks fast to every piece of clothing. I always rip it out.

Funnily enough, I can't find it on google under stickybuds, but can under cleavers.

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/cleavers.htm

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Glad to see you have found your weed Cool

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Weed ID!

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