Weed or plant

Jayme Renee
by Jayme Renee
I have two groupings of these and I'm not sure what they are. I don't see any buds yet. Weed or flower?? Anyone recognize them?
  47 answers
  • Gayle Valverde Gayle Valverde on Jun 11, 2013
    They look like Snapdragon foliage to me...did you ever plant them in/near these spots???
  • Jayme Renee Jayme Renee on Jun 11, 2013
    I actually inherited this Garden from my father who passed away so I'm just learning about all this gardening stuff !! So I'm not sure if he planted them or not but they are two nice groupings so I assume he did.
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Jun 11, 2013
    My guess is Garden Phlox ( Phlox paniculata) it should form some beautiful flowers if so, they come in a lot of colors.
  • Lula Lula on Jun 11, 2013
    possibly pineapple sage, too although it's an annual in zones 5-7.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jun 12, 2013
    I'm with Donna. If you have just inherited this garden you won't know the answer to this, but if powdery mildew has been a problem with those, you may want to thin them out a little to open the plant up and allow for better air circulation.
  • I'm also with Donna on this one - phlox. So you should start seeing some buds at the top pretty soon. I wouldn't pull anything out this year as you never know what you're dealing with. Unless you know FOR SURE that it's a weed, you may have some nice surprises awaiting you.
  • Catherine Smith Catherine Smith on Jun 12, 2013
    And I would suggest you take some additional before and after pictures, so you have a record of what lovely items you have inherited. :)
  • Peg Peg on Jun 12, 2013
    It looks more like one of the wild phlox types (there are a few) which I have opposed to the tall garden phlox which has wider leaves. Post a pic when it blooms! I'd be curious to know if it has a blue blower.
  • Jayme Renee Jayme Renee on Jun 12, 2013
    Thanks everyone! I have noticed a powdery substance next to the base of the plant that will almost like smoke when it gets water on it... Can I thin them out at anytime? I'm in zone 4. I learned my lesson on pulling what I thought were weeds as I pulled out a very mature low walker catmint plant... luckily my aunt noticed it in my "dump" pile and I was able to replant it before it died. I can just see my dad shaking his head at me from heaven - Yelling at me to stay away from his garden. haha. :)
  • Cheryl Thornburg Sander Cheryl Thornburg Sander on Jun 12, 2013
    I can't tell how big the foliage is, but smell it. It really looks a lot like Rosemary.
  • Yvonne B Yvonne B on Jun 12, 2013
    Or it could be Sweet William (dianthus barbatus) http://janinemudge.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/sweetwilliam-from-gardensablaze.jpg If so it could be a heirloom flower handed down from generation to generation..
  • Yvonne B Yvonne B on Jun 12, 2013
    Please post a picture when (what ever it is) it flowers. I would love to see what it is going to be.
  • Jayme Renee Jayme Renee on Jun 12, 2013
    I will for sure. Beinga runner for years you would think I've learned the art of patience... but thisgardening stuff is killing me!! I get so excited it's hard to wait for them tobloom. He has 4 sections of Clematis on this fence that just bloomed this week.That was so worth the wait. What a beautiful sight. My dad would be very happyI haven't killed those yet. I attempting to prune them a bit this spring andmade myself stop as I had NO idea what I was doing. Haha.
  • Luella Eirsdottir Luella Eirsdottir on Jun 12, 2013
    My dad would tell you that the difference between a plant & a weed is that you like the one and not the other or, if you pull them and they come up easy, they're a plant. Weeds pull harder. lol I'd wait until they bloom and, if you like them, keep them.
  • Tara Beamer Tara Beamer on Jun 12, 2013
    I also inherited a garden. The house we bought had been vacant for awhile but the last owner was a gardener. We have been here 6 years and I still have much of what was here to begin with. It also helps that I now work in a greenhouse LOL!
  • Linda R Linda R on Jun 13, 2013
    I think they might be asters.
  • Judy Judy on Jun 13, 2013
    I've never grown Phlox but I have Dianthus & also Michaelmas Daisies which are a type of Aster & bloom later in the year. So if they don't flower this month or next don't despair & dig them out...you just might have a nice Autumn surprise waiting for you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaelmas_Daisy Click on the pic below to see my Michaelmas Daisy plants.
  • Theresa Goodlander Theresa Goodlander on Jun 13, 2013
    ....check under the ground to see if they spread by their root system.
  • Jayme Renee Jayme Renee on Jun 13, 2013
    Cool, so many suggestions. I love this site! Thanks everyone. I'll just have to have a bit more patience I guess. Can I trim them shorter? they are super tall and overshadow all my other flowers. Or should I just wait? ... more patience. Ha!
  • Linda R Linda R on Jun 13, 2013
    If they are Aster's you can cut them half way back , I don't cut mine,I put a cage or old chair with seat removed around my Aster's, they are beautiful in late summer with lots of bees.
  • Tammie W Tammie W on Jun 13, 2013
    I think they look like Russian Tarragon. Mine look exactly like these and they are perennials. Maybe Phlox too as they do resemble these as well.
  • Mary Lou F Mary Lou F on Jun 13, 2013
    I think they are the fall blooming asters that others mentioned. Do cut them back some to make them bushier, but not too late in the season so they still have time to make buds. I love mine when they bloom.
  • Dawn Pietrzak Roitblat Dawn Pietrzak Roitblat on Jun 13, 2013
    Look like asters to me too.
  • Annette Keeling Annette Keeling on Jun 13, 2013
    They look more like Phlox, especially the leaves because snapdragon grown upward in clusters.This is a plant and not a weed, but not sure.
  • Luella Eirsdottir Luella Eirsdottir on Jun 13, 2013
    I'd wait to cut them back, if they have flower buds. You'll lose flowers. Just use some sort of support. If they haven't set buds, go ahead and cut them back.
  • Maureen Maureen on Jun 13, 2013
    I have this in my yard...I cut it back and it comes right back....I think its "Lions Tale" mine blooms a bright orange.....
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jun 14, 2013
    @Jayme Renee you cannot cut the plants back or they won't bloom. They call them "tall garden phlox" for a reason! As I mentioned above, you can cut out some of the individual stems, which will make the plant less dense and reduce the chances of developing powdery mildew.
  • Jayme Renee Jayme Renee on Jun 14, 2013
    Thanks everyone. I think I'll wait on cutting them bak until I know what they are. I will be posting posting more pics today of all the other wonderful plants I have in my new garden.. The only one I know is the hosta. Haha. I'd love feed back on them as well. I hope to make my dad proud and keep his beautiful garden alive. And maybe grow my own Green Thumb. :)
  • Yvonne B Yvonne B on Jun 16, 2013
    I do think Luella Eirsdottir and Douglas Hunt are right at NOT cutting them till you know what they are. Just give them some type of support to keep them from falling over onto the other plants in the garden.
  • Tanya Peterson Felsheim Tanya Peterson Felsheim on Jul 08, 2013
    Plant! I agree looks like asters which are late in the heat bloomers and are gorgeous! you will love them! If you cut asters back you need to do it in early spring not this late usually into the summer. If you do so early spring (which is what nurseries do) they can recover and bloom, but its a little late for them to recover and bloom at this late in the stage. Agree with @Douglas Hunt I find myself doing that a lot.... and he's probably getting a pretty big head about always being right!
  • Cheryl Cheryl on Jul 16, 2013
    Yes I have these also in my garden and they have grown so tall they are hiding all my other flowers. There is no buds on them yet so I'll give them a little more time to see if they bloom. I'm glad I read your comments before I pulled them out! Cant wait to see if they flower
  • Stephanie Stephanie on Jul 18, 2013
    they are called oleanders in louisiana
  • Yvonne B Yvonne B on Jul 19, 2013
    Stephanie, I believe Oleanders are more of a bush and gets hard wood stems in it. This looks to be more like a plant, soft tissue stems that don't harden.
  • Tanya Peterson Felsheim Tanya Peterson Felsheim on Jul 19, 2013
    My asters have not bloomed yet this year....they get about as tall as these before they do bloom, I think they start to bloom mid august, and they are gorgeous mini daisy looking
  • Jayme Renee Jayme Renee on Jul 19, 2013
    Mine are not bloomed yet ... still waiting. They are getting HUGE!! lol I have Japanese beetles (ICK) and they are starting to eat away at the leaves, better get on killing those buggers now!
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Jul 19, 2013
    Oleanders are not hardy that far north. Yuck on the beetles @Jayme Renee. The garden Phlox is usually a mid to late summer bloomer for us, and I suspect that your bloom time will be a bit later than us here in zone 7b.
    • Judy Judy on Jun 15, 2014
      @360 Sod (Donna Dixson) Phlox huh? They look a lot like my Michaelmas Daisies. We're 7b here also.
  • Tanya Peterson Felsheim Tanya Peterson Felsheim on Jul 22, 2013
    We cannot grow Oleanders in the northwest just too cold. These are perennials and die completely back each year and grow, so I'm pretty sure they are asters and not oleanders. here are O's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nerium_oleander_Ouarzazate_wild2.jpg or here is a picture of asters http://perennialpassion.blogspot.com/2010/06/golden-privet-and-fall-aster.html
  • MJ MJ on Aug 07, 2013
    Looks like Garden Phlox or possibly Obedient plant. Phlox will bloom a cluster of flowers on top, Obedient will bloom on a spike.
  • Mary Lou F Mary Lou F on Aug 13, 2013
    Has this plant bloomed yet? show us.
    • See 3 previous
    • Judy Judy on Jun 15, 2014
      So did anyone find out what they are?
  • Mary Lou F Mary Lou F on Aug 14, 2013
    Jayme Renee, If it's a fall blooming aster, mine are not blooming yet, so just be patient. I think it will be worth the wait.
  • Peg Peg on Aug 14, 2013
    We can rule out phlox as they started bloom a while ago. If it were an obedient plant, which is a late summer bloomer, mine has it's flower spikes, not in bloom yet, it should have serrated leaves, this one does not. I'm pretty sure it's Asters, maybe New England asters by the way the leaves are alternated on the stems. These are also late summer bloomers.
  • Rhonda Clements Rhonda Clements on Jun 12, 2014
    they look just like my asters which dont bloom until fall
  • Ellen H Ellen H on Jun 12, 2014
    @Jayme Renee Did you ever determine what this plant was?
  • Luis Luis on Jun 13, 2014
    They are Fall Asters and if you trim them in June they bloom a lot more in the fall
  • Pat Pat on May 16, 2021

    I'm on the Donna/Douglas Team!

  • Deb K Deb K on Jun 08, 2021

    Hello, looks just like Garden Phlox, the flowers will form at the top of the foliage.

  • Keith Barkan Keith Barkan on Mar 18, 2024

    Don't know name but have had them they don't really do much more then that Any plant is a plant if you find it delivers a nice look . If it starts to take over till all you see is THAT then indeed you know what to do