What kind of plant(s) are these?....or are they weeds?

Question

Can anyone tell me what these plants might be? Are they plants or weeds? My husband seems to think they're weeds, but I don't think so. The one on the left definitely creeps and has these little blue flowers. The one on the right clumps and had little white flowers. Thanks for any help you can give!

Donna N · Answer

I am interested to know what the one in the first picture is as I have some in my flowerbed as well. It resembles a Wandering Jew. I find it to be very invasive and am constantly pulling it out!

Tammy Horner · Answer

Let me know when you find out because I have TONS of it. :/

Jessica C · Answer

Not quite sure on the one to the left, I do think it is a perennial, with the blue flowers. The right one looks like Itch Weed, definitely something to get rid of.

Donna N · Answer

Ok, I believe the one on the left is called a Dayflower. I found these website, you can check it out.. http://wildflowersofthewestvillage.com/2010/07/30/the-beautiful-dayflower/ http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/comco.htm

Bea · Answer

The one on the left is definitely a Dayflower. They spread like crazy so you have to keep them in check or they'll overrun your flowerbed! :-)

Kathy · Answer

one on left is forget me not and trust me you can't cause it will not go away

Lisa McDaniel · Answer

I too think the one on the left is a weed, and very hard to get rid of. I've been trying for 3 yrs to rid my lawn of it !

Judith O · Answer

Native Spider Wort. Great for shady moist areas. Spreads like crazy but easily pulled out. Have also seen the other pop up in my garden. All plants are weeds IF they're in a spot you don't want. So pull it out when it gets in the way of things you've planted & leave if it looks good & fills a bar spot. Happy gardening! Check out our website & 'like' us on Facebook. 
 www.glenviewgardeners.org

Cheryl stanley · Answer

you are right, Judith! the one on the left is a spiderwort. I love the old flowers of my grandmas garden. there are newer variaties of spiderworts nowadays that are just beautiful. don't know about the other picture, though.

Ginny N · Answer

Native Spider Wort is correct and yes they spread like crazy and re-seed themselves every where.

Karen Simon · Answer

We call the one one the left crab grass and dig up all of them we see.

Lorah Marquardt · Answer

The plant on the left is often called Native Spiderwort but is more correctly called Dayflower. It is a member of the Spiderwort family but differs from actual Spiderwort as it has a creeping growth habit rather than upright. If it has a white lower petal then it is Asiatic Dayflower (a non-native). If it has a blue lower petal it is Virginia Dayflower (a native). True Spiderwort is a native prairie plant. (Fun Fact: All three are related to the house plant commonly called Wandering Jew.)

Sal kemple · Answer

We all know if ya wanna get rid of something spray it with pure vinegar and it will be gone, anything from morning glory to dandelions!!

Trish Ross · Answer

The one on the left is a perennial. It spreads but isn't real invasive. My mom called them 'Wandering Jacks'. I'd much rather have them instead of weeds.

Sherrie S · Answer

I was unfortunate when I purchased wildflowers & the plants on the left of your posting came with the rest of the wildflowers. They are considered an invasive weed here in Florida.

From My Cherry Heart · Answer

I have the one one the left too. I always thought it looked like a wandering jew.
You can put it in a hanging bakery each summer. It is invasive.

Sherry · Answer

Thank you all for your answers!! This is such a great website!...I had never used it before now. Looks like I'm going to be removing both of these plants. Maybe I'll try and plant the Spiderwort/Dayflower in a pot and see how it does. Thanks again! :)

Dana Shuster · Answer

Someone from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (check out www.wildflower.org) said the one on the left is a native false dayflower. I don't consider it a weed because almost any shade flower that will grow in the drought-stricken hot-as-Hades Texas hill country has my blessing. I just pull out the ones growing inconvenient places. The rest will die back after blooming.

Sharon · Answer

ok,I was gonna say wandering jew variety,so glad to see spiderwort or dayflower guesses... I would try it in a pot as a 'spiller' and add a filler and thriller ,then see what happens ...

Janelle Wakefield · Answer

They look like the plant 4 o'clocks. Their flowers are red, yellow, and pink. They close up every night.

Sandra L · Answer

on the left, Wandering Jew.

Lisa McDaniel · Answer

Wandering Jew is purple. I plan on taking some to Lowe's & finding out what it is- we have it everywhere ! I kill it in one spot and it pops up in 2 more spots ! UGGHH

Donna N · Answer

@Lisa McDaniel It's not wandering jew, it is a Dayflower. It's very invasive and when the end of the world comes, there will be cockroaches and Dayflowers in abundance!! LOL!

Lisa McDaniel · Answer

Donna N, I know it isn't a wondering jew. I replied with ' it isn't a wondering jew, they are purple.' (Unless I had a typo) I do have doubts of it being a dayflower too. I plan on asking at a nursery just for my own curiosity. And yes, I know to well how invasive it is. But at my house it seems to only grow along fence line or the outside of walls. I had some along one fence where we had a stump of a Mimosa tree that wouldn't die for nothing. I got some stump killer and applied it UNDILUTED and it killed everything, even the 'dayflower' ! I now have a BIG problem with Johnson grass.. I dug it all up from my yard last fall & I swear it's back but twice as much !

Sharon · Answer

Oh yeah,johnson grass is awful...we are constantly pulling it out of our blueberry plot,and trying not to ruin the trees...stuff grows thru mulch like crazy,too

Sharon · Answer

BTW,I was fortunate enough to receive a piece of WHITE wandering jew from a friendthis spring,and it is beautiful...leaves are white and green varigated... already had purple JW and moses-in-a-cradle,... they're all in same familywill try to send pics,but not good at it.

Donna N · Answer

Sry Lisa! Meant to say that to Sandra...

Sandra L · Answer

My grandfather always called it wondeing Jew. Maybe is comes in different colors. Had loads of it in south FL when I was growing up. Remember picking little 'bouquet' of it for my grandmoher!

Flowerscapes Garden Design & Landscaping · Answer

unfortunately The pretty blue flowers are enticing and a weed. It is easy enough to pull in a bed, but it is invasive.

Crafty2you · Answer

This is known as the green Creeping Jew. There are several types of Wandering Jew yours is the green. There is the striped purple, the green with silvery, very slight purple on the edges of the leaves. The purple is Tradescantia Zebrina

What kind of plant(s) are these?....or are they weeds?

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What kind of plant(s) are these?....or are they weeds?

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