Anyone recognise this plant?

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

I had a couple of annuals in my garden bed last year that were supposed to freely self-seed, so I let volunteers grow until I was sure they were weeds. None of them turned out to be the annuals I was looking for, but I got these two plants, and I have no idea what they are. They are very attractive, and look like they are going to bloom. I'm sure they are probably some kind of weed, but I like them. I think they are the same plant, although they haven't grown the same. But on close examination the leaf shapes are the same so....

 

[ChanellG]

The leaves remind me of marigold, so maybe it is something related to those. I would think it will be a lot easier to identify after those buds open, assuming it is a flowering plant. Weeds are just unidentified wild plants; many actually have beneficial use as food or medicine and the flowering ones also attract important pollinators.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

yeah, they do resemble marigold leaves, but these are about 3 feet high. I was just going through some wildflower books with my neighbour, but we couldn't find anything that really seemed to match. I think I'm just going to have to wait until they flower, and then pull them out before they seed, if it turns out they are something I really don't want!

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Ok, I just went through a guide to Ontario weeds site, and the only two things they resemble are poison hemlock and common ragweed, so out they come!

 

[ChanellG]

Let them flower first; it's the only way to be sure. Also, some marigold do get that tall. I've seen them growing at the farmer's market I frequent, and I have a tall one in a pot - though it has yet to flower since I got it that is almost that tall. Maybe take off half the buds now, let it bloom, then decide.

 

[morlogs]

Almost looks like a cross between a fern of some type and something I seem to remember smoking occasionally back in the sixties.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Almost looks like a cross between a fern of some type and something I seem to remember smoking occasionally back in the sixties.

LOL - it's definitely not that! No, one was definitely poisonous hemlock, and although my son thought we should keep it and become a family of assassins, I overruled and the plant is a goner.

 

[dconklin]

It looks just like the flowers that I planted this year by the leaves and yes they get taller then marigolds. I thought that they were marigolds when they first started to come up. Not sure what they are called, I got the seeds at a festival last year from the garden club. They were handing out bags of flower seeds and I don't remember what they said the name was. I planted them in a couple locations and this is one of the flowers from them. Not sure if it is the same as mine, but the leaves look similar. See what happens when they flower, these are cute flowers I think

 

[gata montes]

CrazyPlantLady I think your plant is an Argyranthemum, which is a bushy, low maintenance hardy perennial, with white, pink or yellow daisy like flowers, that with regular dead heading will flower right through the summer into early autumn.
It is very easy to care for, requiring any well drained soil, full sun and moderate watering. Is drought tolerant once established and giving less water, actually keeps it more compact. Can grow to a 1 meter in height with a spread of half a meter or more. Is evergreen in mild climates and easily propagated by stem cuttings, with the stem cuttings reaching flowering size within a couple of months.
These are wonderful plants for instant color and impatient gardeners, so here is hoping I have correctly identified your plant, as I have had many, many years of pleasure from mine.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Thanks gata montes, but I was pretty sure it was hemlock, so I removed it. The clincher for me was the red streaks on the stem http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/poison/plants/slides/1036lg.jpg. They are a weed around this area, apparently. I might have been wrong, but I decided to err on the side of caution.

 

[kaydee]

Do the leaves have a strong pungent scent? If so, could be Tagetes, sometimes called French marigolds. Very good as a companion planting for keeping white fly away.

 

[gata montes]

TheCrazyPlantLady, glad you solved your plant identification problem, digging it up was probably the best way to go, as you weren't sure what it was, better safe than sorry.

 

[dconklin]

Did they ever flower or you just got rid of them first just in case? I have no idea what mine is, but the seeds were given to me by a garden club so I am sure it was not a weed

It looked similar to mine, but mine were not quite as bushy and tall. Tho I haven't seen mine spreading either. The ones that are here are just from the seeds I planted.

Better safe then sorry tho, right?

 

[gata montes]

dconklin, I can understand your concern here, but can assure you that, the picture of your plant with flower, is definitely not a hemlock or any form of dangerous plant, and although your plant is very similar to that of TheCrazyPlantLadys, its is not an Argyranthemum either, as the flowers would need to be more daisy like to be an Argyranthemum, and would say that your plant is a Cosmos.
I can't quite see all of the foliage from your picture, but the bit I can see combined with the flower, says to me there is nothing at all dangerous about your plant, and am certain that your plant is a Cosmos.
Comos is an annual and will flower, with regular deadheading, right through the summer to the first frosts, should you wish to grow it again, seeds are plentiful and easily got.
Hope this helps.