Virginia Buttonweed?

Joined
Sep 11, 2021
Messages
66
Reaction score
55
Location
Sydney
Country
Australia
Hello!

Can I seek your help in ID’ing this plant? It’s been growing in a giant 3D looking lump/cluster in the corner. It blooms white and pink flowers.

I used one of those plant ID apps which identified it as a Virginia Buttonweed plant? Can someone please confirm? If so, is it invasive or harmful for the garden?

Whilst we’re on the topic of weeds, can someone explain what is a weed technically? And should we be getting rid of weeds in our garden? I looked at my local government’s website which provides a list of the weeds in our local area. Some of them of which are actually quite beautiful. https://sydneyweeds.org.au/impacts-of-weeds/weed-identification/
It website says that weeds are harmful to our ecosystem. Is this true and does it apply to all weeds?
 

Attachments

  • 851061D3-43DB-4C4D-8ADB-2DBA4D19DF48.jpeg
    851061D3-43DB-4C4D-8ADB-2DBA4D19DF48.jpeg
    411.1 KB · Views: 52
  • 8553330B-3ED1-4130-80B8-4FCC1BC2635D.jpeg
    8553330B-3ED1-4130-80B8-4FCC1BC2635D.jpeg
    421.6 KB · Views: 53
  • 9377702C-CD9A-450B-9643-91B0BEFFAB5A.jpeg
    9377702C-CD9A-450B-9643-91B0BEFFAB5A.jpeg
    355.6 KB · Views: 42
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
I'm not seeing the angled stems or opposite leaves of Virginia Buttonweed (Diodia virginiana, Rubiaceae), but I want a better look.
If possible, could you post a tighter, close-up photo, and of course, a pic of the flowers would be ideal.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 11, 2021
Messages
66
Reaction score
55
Location
Sydney
Country
Australia
I'm not seeing the angled stems or opposite leaves of Virginia Buttonweed (Diodia virginiana, Rubiaceae), but I want a better look.
If possible, could you post a tighter, close-up photo, and of course, a pic of the flowers would be ideal.
I’ve attached some close-ups. The flowers haven’t fully bloomed yet, however small flower buds have appeared. My memory was wrong, they’re actually more purple coloured.

To provide some further context, we had a staghorn fern which was attached to an oak tree. The staghorn fern subsequently died and this plant started growing in its place, and the cluster eventually fell off the oak tree, so we left it in the corner of the garden to do its thing, since we didn’t really know what it was. Hope this helps.

Thank you again!
 

Attachments

  • C5A069CB-651A-4BD9-9A63-4C5F7A25AA61.jpeg
    C5A069CB-651A-4BD9-9A63-4C5F7A25AA61.jpeg
    244 KB · Views: 40
  • A827A640-52DE-4030-AB57-E0DA3240B148.jpeg
    A827A640-52DE-4030-AB57-E0DA3240B148.jpeg
    163.4 KB · Views: 41
  • CE6868CC-A33F-4A64-811D-13C941691998.jpeg
    CE6868CC-A33F-4A64-811D-13C941691998.jpeg
    184.4 KB · Views: 38
  • 9B247D6B-FB2C-4C95-9412-F5B3A3D6D49F.jpeg
    9B247D6B-FB2C-4C95-9412-F5B3A3D6D49F.jpeg
    266.9 KB · Views: 45
  • F6DC1E84-6C18-4EEB-BFFC-FA6956AE0F2A.jpeg
    F6DC1E84-6C18-4EEB-BFFC-FA6956AE0F2A.jpeg
    195.9 KB · Views: 31
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
Ah yes, you have a lovely orchid there. It looks like the Australian native, Dendrobium kingianum, or something quite similar. It is native to parts of Queensland and New South Wales. I do hope you keep it. Also, be sure to smell the flowers. The one I grew had flowers that smelled like strong honey.

As to your earlier question, the modern definition of a weed is simply a plant growing where somebody doesn't want it, a subjective determination to say the least. Governments and others may declare a plant an 'official' weed due to various agricultural and ecological concerns.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 11, 2021
Messages
66
Reaction score
55
Location
Sydney
Country
Australia
Ah yes, you have a lovely orchid there. It looks like the Australian native, Dendrobium kingianum, or something quite similar. It is native to parts of Queensland and New South Wales. I do hope you keep it. Also, be sure to smell the flowers. The one I grew had flowers that smelled like strong honey.

As to your earlier question, the modern definition of a weed is simply a plant growing where somebody doesn't want it, a subjective determination to say the least. Governments and others may declare a plant an 'official' weed due to various agricultural and ecological concerns.
Thank you Marck! I’m glad I asked on here to confirm. I actually thought it was a virginia buttonweed.

Do you know this orchid is ordinarily grown and cares for? It’s definitely been neglected so far too many years, but somehow has managed to survive.

Thanks for clarifying re: the my second question. Australia is a quite strict with protecting its agricultural, everything seems to be a danger!
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
In cultivation Dendrobium kingianum is a robust and easy-care orchid, and obviously you've grown an excellent specimen without even trying. Continue on with what have or have not been doing. It basically wants full sun or bright indirect light and excellent drainage.
I understand that it grows natively as far south as the Newcastle area, but unsurprisingly it is also well-adapted in Sydney.
 
Joined
Sep 11, 2021
Messages
66
Reaction score
55
Location
Sydney
Country
Australia
In cultivation Dendrobium kingianum is a robust and easy-care orchid, and obviously you've grown an excellent specimen without even trying. Continue on with what have or have not been doing. It basically wants full sun or bright indirect light and excellent drainage.
I understand that it grows natively as far south as the Newcastle area, but unsurprisingly it is also well-adapted in Sydney.
Thanks Marck! I was surprised to hear that it was an orchid, especially considering it was literally left neglected and it survive on its own.

Sydney is only 2 hours drive directly south from Newcastle along the coast. Our climate and day to day weather is pretty much identical. The climate changes a little once you go further south past Sydney.

Would you recommend I giving my orchid a bit of a prune or trim at all?
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
I would only clip off completely dead stems, if any. If you wanted to propagate it, you could divide a section off and pot it up in orchid bark or rock.
 
Joined
Jul 18, 2022
Messages
223
Reaction score
26
Location
Newyork
Country
United States
I’ve attached some close-ups. The flowers haven’t fully bloomed yet, however small flower buds have appeared. My memory was wrong, they’re actually more purple coloured.

To provide some further context, we had a staghorn fern which was attached to an oak tree. The staghorn fern subsequently died and this plant started growing in its place, and the cluster eventually fell off the oak tree, so we left it in the corner of the garden to do its thing, since we didn’t really know what it was. Hope this helps.

Thank you again!

Staghorn Fern (Platycerium Bifurcatum) Indoor Care Guide​

 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
26,589
Messages
256,654
Members
13,263
Latest member
ProNailComplex

Latest Threads

Top