I wonder if this is a weed
by
Sherrie S
+47
I have these plants growing in a lot of places and I have been pulling them out. I put one in a pot & now I see pretty white flowers - hmmm is this a weed?
weed or pretty plant
45 answers
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Weeds are in the eye of the beholder. I once interviewed a weed scholar who said essentially the same thing. If it isn't bothering you, it's not really a weed.
3po3
on Dec 25, 2011
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I don't recognize your plant, Sherrie, but I agree completely with Steve. For example, you will often find tradescantia, or spiderwort, in garden centers in the northeast. But I pull them out by the dozens in my Florida garden.
Douglas Hunt
on Dec 25, 2011
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A weed is any plant that is growing where you don't want it to.
Deborah C
on Dec 25, 2011
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Steve, it isn't bothering me so I will keep this one in a pot to see what it does and remove the rest. It surprised me with the flowers since it was in the pot for a few months before it flowered. Douglas, I detest spiderwort as they are difficult to get out of the ground and I think they are ugly - well, not pretty. Deborah, excellent thought.
Sherrie S
on Dec 25, 2011
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Thank you for the suggestions but this doesn't answer my question because in the past I found that some plants the birds/bees/etc. delivered to my yard were really nice plants. I'll hold this one for awhile.
Sherrie S
on Dec 25, 2011
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When I was working my way through grad school...getting a degree in Botany. One of my profs called a weed any "unwanted" plant. To that end Tulips planted in the middle of some ones yard could be considered a weed. As far as "eco-systems" go ...non-native or transplanted "invasive" species are often considered weeds. Here in Colorado many of our wilderness areas allow for pack animals to provide transport for gear and people. One of the requirements for outfitters is to use "certified" weed free hay. The thought here is to limit the invasive nature of some plants into environments that would other wise not be subject to these foreign plants.....ie dandelions in a high alpine meadow.
KMS Woodworks
on Dec 25, 2011
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Its funny, anything that seems to grow in my yard ends up being a weed. Plant something that we have to pay for and it dies. My wife brought home some wild violets from a horse back ride she was on. Thought they would be pretty. She planted them in a container with my hope they would die. No such luck. They are now spreading throughout my lawn, and two of my neighbors yards as well. We have used all sorts of weed killers and they keep coming back.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Dec 26, 2011
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It looks awful pretty to be a weed. I think it would be nice in a group planting. :)
Debbie H
on Dec 26, 2011
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Debbie I think it is pretty, too. It has been in the pot for months so I could find out what it was & then all of a sudden I found the white flowers. I'll keep my eye on it. Woodbridge I bought wild flowers one time and it took years to kill them. They were invasive. I use roundup on them as they try to come back.
Sherrie S
on Dec 26, 2011
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that looks like ladies tresses, Spiranthes ovalis- a woodland groundcover that is not aggressive (at least in my area). I quite like the plant myself.
Anna K
on Dec 26, 2011
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funny, after i posted i thought i should double check myself... i did not find anything referring to it as a groundcover-but it probbably seems that way to me because i have it growing in a cultivated area. I also did not know it is supposedly north americas only native orchid... here's a link i found you may like. http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/ls_ladytress.html
Anna K
on Dec 26, 2011
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Anna, I don't know how you found this but I really appreciate it. I found several pictures under spiranthes that look just like it and grow in Florida. Thank you so much. I guess a bee or bird brought it here.
Sherrie S
on Dec 27, 2011
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It's funny how anything that seems to grow easily and freely is "undesirable"! My motto, I likey, I keepy!
Faidra at CA Global Inc
on Dec 28, 2011
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Looks to me like a galanthus or snowdrop flower! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galanthus
Miranda B
on Dec 28, 2011
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This looks like "grape hyasinth" (sp?) in a very pale blue or a white (which is rare!).
Meri C
on Dec 28, 2011
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Faidra I don't keepy because I keepied a potato plant that was so pretty & found it was as bad as kudzu or possibly worse. I'm still fighting that plant after 6 years of roundup. I'm just careful now and keepy almost anything that won't destroy my yard.
Sherrie S
on Dec 28, 2011
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we grow and sell the same plant in our nursery. we like to carry unusual, native (and easy) perennials... it has not shown any signs of being invasive at all in our area, and we have carried it for years.
Anna K
on Dec 28, 2011
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Anna, if you grow it in Nebraska I shouldn't have to worry about cold. I thought I might bring it in the house to keep it alive to see what it does next.
Sherrie S
on Dec 29, 2011
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It's a weed if it's growing where you don't want it to.
Leslie
on Dec 29, 2011
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not necessarily if they are a bulb squirrels relocate them or seeds will fly anywhere. I don't know that this is sorry
Cindy S
on Dec 29, 2011
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Leslie, I respectfully disagree with you. If it grows where I don't want it and it is a nice plant then I will move it. I just didn't want an invasive plant. Cindy, birds, bees, etc., do create good and bad plants. I will give mine a chance because of this posting. Thank you.
Sherrie S
on Dec 29, 2011
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What difference does it make, some peoples weeds are another persons flower. Enjoy them, just don't let them spread too much. When they spread and take over a spot then they are no longer a flower as they are bothersome indicating its a weed. Enjoy God's present to you.
Martha M
on Dec 29, 2011
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All weeds are plants it's probably a native plant and if it has flowers and it's pretty don't pull it out enjoy how it's growing that's my advice.
Pam Y
on Dec 29, 2011
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Pam, that's what I'm doing. I may even bring it in my house if it gets too cold. Martha, I enjoy all God's presents.
Sherrie S
on Dec 30, 2011
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Sherrie! I agree with Meri, it looks like grape hyacinth, which we have here, they flower in the spring, they also smells great...I have purple ones.....they do spread a lot, I just pull them out and put them in plant sale....
Valery G J
on Jan 07, 2012
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Valery G - Nope not a grape hyacinth. I think you and Meri C missed the posting by Anna K who found the plant Spiranthes. It is a wild orchid. I'm liking it better & better because it is alive after the 29 degree Florida weather. Thanks for trying to help.
Sherrie S
on Jan 07, 2012
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@Sherrie: Our recent weather has been a good hardiness test.
Douglas Hunt
on Jan 08, 2012
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I was at a nursery today and the plant was there, and it is a orchid and very pretty it was in a little 2" pot and the price was $30.00. I really thought they had the wrong price on it but was informed it was right.....It had the long leaf and really pretty little white flowers.....Enjoy it....
Valery G J
on Jan 08, 2012
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I suggest going to "gardenaholics anonymous" on Facebook. GREAT group of people who can answer anything garden between them!!
Patty M
on Jan 09, 2012
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Valery G, did they tell you the name of the plant? Patty M, I will check out the site you recommend. Thank you. I just started pulling out periwinkles that had been damaged by the cold and I found a whole bunch of those little wild orchids alive & well under dead periwinkles.
Sherrie S
on Jan 09, 2012
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No! but I will try to find out!
Valery G J
on Jan 09, 2012
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they go dormant for us here, but come back full and lovely in the spring-blooming late summer fall... wow thirty dollar plant!?! we sell the gallons for $8 guess i had better check that price eh?
Anna K
on Jan 26, 2012
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whatever it is, it is very pretty so I would keep them. You might dig some of them up and put them all in a clump.
DORLIS
on Jul 12, 2015
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this is a wonderful web site for plant id allthingsplants.com
Sundra Cline
on Jul 31, 2015
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As a child we called them the wedding bell flowers.
Kathy Meador Wells
on Aug 08, 2015
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I believe what you have there is "white squill". It is a wild bulb plant, like the wild daffodils and iris's that bloom each early spring here in Kentucky. PLEASE, if you don't want it--send it to ME!!! LOL! Here is a link to a page where they can be purchased--thirty bucks per 100!!! http://www.colorblends.com/Wholesale-Flowerbulbs/Specialty-Bulbs/White-Squill#.VcYj3flViko
Rebecca Dawn Davies-Kleitz
on Aug 08, 2015
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I never pull or dig any thing until it has grown one season. Who knows, I may be killing a real gem.
DORLIS
on Aug 08, 2015
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I don't pull out unknown plants immediately but I watch them closely. Some like the horrible, invasive potato plant caused a lot of problems until I finally was able to kill it. It looked pretty and grew fast & by then it couldn't easily be stopped.
Sherrie Slaboda
on Aug 08, 2015
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A weed is only a plant in a place you don't want it
Debbie
on Aug 08, 2015
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@Debbie you are totally right except when it is an invasive plant that can and will take over your whole yard. Nobody would want the potato plant anymore than wanting Kudzu because both plants are equally bad.
Sherrie Slaboda
on Aug 08, 2015
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I find the potato plant dies out at end of season in my area....start over next spring/early summer.
Psellers
on Aug 12, 2015
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a weed is but an unloved flower!! L.M. Alcott
Judy Moyer
on Oct 21, 2015
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I would let it go. It is pretty and unless it prove to be invasive, I say it stays. If you want to move them to one spot in a clump.
DORLIS
on Oct 22, 2015
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I believe it's a yucca plant. We have them, they often grow wild, thanks to the birds n their droppings! It is not a weed!
Jan Walker
on May 26, 2016
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Did a little looking...check out this link. It looks pretty close.http://www.rodsguide.com/w28_indian_pipe.aspx
Kathy
on May 29, 2016
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