HELP, weed or not a weed, that is the question 😏

Lightfeather
by Lightfeather
Moving into our new home and we will be taking all our plants and flowers. This plant grew out of nowhere and we don't know what it is. Each leaf is 18+" long Is it a weed or?
Leaves are 18+" long
  19 answers
  • Doyle Tami Harmon Doyle Tami Harmon on Apr 12, 2015
    This looks like a wild rhubarb to me. I do not garden in your zone, but that is the first thing that came to mind when I saw the foliage.
  • Caley's Culinaries Caley's Culinaries on Apr 12, 2015
    It might be a squash or pumpkin, maybe watermelon? I don't think you need to dig that one.
  • Celestina phillips Celestina phillips on Apr 12, 2015
    Looks like a weed that grows here in WV.
  • Celestina phillips Celestina phillips on Apr 12, 2015
    90% sure.
  • Anastasia Pierce Anastasia Pierce on Apr 13, 2015
    looks to me like some kind of large squash or gourd
  • Heliane Ripley Heliane Ripley on Apr 13, 2015
    What does it matter? If it is pretty. leave it. You can always change your mind.
  • Sonja Sonja on Apr 13, 2015
    The definition of a WEED depends completely on your decision: YOU have to decide weather you like the plant or not. It is such a fun to declare that some piece of common boring weed that everybody destroys is your Ornamental Plant, then feed it, trim & groom, fence like it is some unusual Oriental flower, and it will become one! Weeds are healthy, resistant, grateful plants with extremely fast growth, you can shape them in many ways, you will not harm them. This could be your project, and a way to get to know your new neighbors.
    • Lightfeather Lightfeather on Apr 13, 2015
      I don't kill off anything my people find use of all things. This plant is at my current home and we are taking it with us to the new home. I asked an elder and learned its burdock a wonderful medicinal plant.
  • Sonja Sonja on Apr 13, 2015
    INSTRUCTIVE LIFE STORY WITH A POINT AT THE END: This could be your Welcome Plant; I would leave it (as @Heliane Ripley said: you can always change your mind.) When we moved in a new house, we fought with Sticky Willy (Galium aparine) that grew around the gateway and around main doors to the house. More we were pulling and poisoning it, more it was growing, catching our clothes and things, it was ingrown everywhere. At the same time we were often visiting our aunt in a hospital. Aunt was swollen from strong medications and doctors couldn't solve this problem, she looked like a balloon. She was near to death when I finally opened one Lexicon of plants (to see how to GET RID OF that aggressive weed) but I read that this herb is very effective diuretic!!! Poor plant was shouting loud, grabbed our feet, clogged our passages and loosing life so we would finally look at her and allow her to save our aunt, what she did quickly and painlessly. Her luxuriant growth 8 years ago was really strange: no neighbor ever had it, it grew only in our passages (not in the yard), lifting concrete slabs and thrived from every invisible crack in concrete. As soon as we used it to heal the aunt, our weed withdrew in a hidden corner of the yard where no other plant can grow, although we weeded her never again. This 8 years we know it's there, behind the trash can, in case we ever need it again. THE POINT AT THE END: no need to say, right? Only: THANK YOU, modest little herb!
  • Celestina phillips Celestina phillips on Apr 13, 2015
    Well usually I agree with the idea that weeds that are pretty can stay but not with this weed. We let several grow just to cut them down bc they grow huge and then are not pretty. But I am telling you my experience. You, of course, get to chose.
  • Sonja Sonja on Apr 13, 2015
    @Celestina, do you know the name of this species? It's familiar to me, but I have no idea about its later growth. My decorative weed is Plantago lanceolata L. -looks pretty growing from cracks around my street door,I leave and groom pillows of wild chamomile between the concrete slabs, from big weeds I left few tall burdocks (and sticky willy in his corner:-)
  • Rsbailey Rsbailey on Apr 13, 2015
    You might want to pull a leaf off wrap the stem in a damp paper towel and take and /or a picture of the plant to a garden center or plant nursery. They are usually glad to help identify it. When I moved into my first place I pulled up a bunch of unknown plants and later realized I had destroyed a bed of old fashioned holly hocks. Hope you solve your mystery and have a great time gardening in your new home.
  • Suzanne Evans Suzanne Evans on Apr 13, 2015
    It's only a weed if you don't like it. :)
  • Kathy Kathy on Apr 13, 2015
    Google it
  • Cat382063 Cat382063 on Apr 13, 2015
    I use an app called " garden compass" ...(free) take a pic of unknown plant and they will tell u what it is! I've used it 3 times so far
  • Maggietheblackcat Maggietheblackcat on Apr 13, 2015
    It looks like it could either be rhubarb, which usually has red, green or speckled edible stems, or else it could be burdock, aka wild rhubarb, which has a hollow stem and produces sticky burrs.
  • Carol Carol on Apr 13, 2015
    I think this to be burdock. Plenty of it in the wild where I live. Harmless.
  • Chantel Tupper Chantel Tupper on Apr 13, 2015
    It's Rhubard...wait til the stalks start turning red/pink.
  • Teo Teo on Apr 14, 2015
    SE numeste BURUIANA,orice planta careia inca nu i sa descoperit intrebuintarea. Aceasta planta pare sa fie BRUSTURE si este buna ptr. reumatism.
  • See1592806 See1592806 on Apr 25, 2015
    If it is a squash plant (we call them pumpkins in Oz lol) stop touching it with bare hands please, and that includes the stalks (vines), they are toxic - I scratched my arm 3 weeks ago on an Ironbark Pumpkin vine - it hurts, is infected, keeps spreading and so far no creams or antibiotics are helping - my own fault, wasn't wearing long sleeves - just thought I would mention it :)
    • Lightfeather Lightfeather on Apr 25, 2015
      TY for you reply, I consulted with an expert on this plant and was told its Burdock.