Ask The Plant Expert: Here we go again. You identified my crocus (which I suspected) and now I have another "just showed up" plant. She's cute. She could be a weed. If she's a plant or flower I will keep her, put her somewhere else. She is in the middle of a landscape project. If she's a weed, no matter how cute she must go. The circle of life. -Rochelle

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: It is a Buffalo-Bur (Solanum rostratum). Depending on your thoughts on poisonous plants, you may want to get rid of it. This plant is in the nightshade family. The leaves and green fruits are poisonous and contain glycoalkaloid solanine.

If humans or animals come in contact with the burs (spines) intense lingering pain can occur. This is especially problematic for dogs who will chew and lick their feet if they step on this plant. It is sad that beautiful plants like these also come with dangers.

Hope this information helps!

Ask The Plant Expert:  Is this a weed or a flower?

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: Cynthia,

I believe this is a Cleome which can be either an annual or perennial flower depending on which species it is. Many people love this plant in their garden. I personal like the look but do not like the smell of the plant. In the greenhouses, it smells like cat pee.

I hope this information helps. Please let me know if you need help with anything else.

Ask The Plant Expert: I have this "weed" in my Albuquerque, NM area garden.  I have searched for hours in various wild flower and weed identification websites and can't find it anywhere.  It has woody stems and leathery, succulent leaves.  I would like to move it to another part of my garden, but would also like to know what it is. Any ideas?

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply: The person helping me identify the plant believes it is a Abronia Umbellata or Abronia Villoso.

One way to get a true positive identification is to take a leaf, bloom and picture to your state extension service office.

Hope this information is helpful.

Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Vetch

Ask the Expert: killing weed without killing cotoneaster
What is this weed growing under my cotoneaster shrubs, and how can I kill the weeds without killing the cotoneaster?  I have Trimec Plus for post emerge grass weeds, but would that be safe to spray on the cotoneaster to get at the weeds underneath? Rex

Plant Expert Reply:

What you have is called vetch. It is a weed that we find often in lawns, but will also present itself in shrub beds. Trimec Plus is a product for lawn/turf application only. I would not recommend spraying it on your cotoneaster since it is a "broadleaf" killer. Cotoneaster is considered a broad leaf and therefore Trimec would damage the Cotoneaster. Instead I would wick it with a contact killer like Roundup or Hi Yield Killzall.

The method of wicking involves applying the chemical only to the plant you want to kill. You can surround your cotoneaster with a piece of cardboard and then spray the weed. Or you can take a piece of absorbent material and dip in chemical and then touch the weed.

I usually pull this weed and apply a pre-emerge granule to the soil to keep it from coming up again. I use a product called American weed and grass stopper about twice a year in my beds.

You can get all of the products I mentioned at your local garden center and nursery.

This Flower Shop Network weed identification was brought to you by Houston Florists

Spring Vetch - Vicia sativa

Ask the Expert: Can you ID this weed?
I live in Charleston, SC and it is taking over my yard this spring.  It has a purple flower.
THanks. Mac

Plant Expert Reply:

What you have is called Spring Vetch (Vicia sativa). In most places it is considered a weed. To get rid of it in your yard, you can spray 2 4 D or a Greenlight product called wipe-out. These products will kill the broadleaf weeds in your yard, but they will not harm the grass.  Your local garden center and nursery in will have this product on the shelf. They will be able to tell you how to mix it and when to spray it in your area.

Caution: 2 4 d or wipe out can only be used in yards. It can not be used in shrub beds.

This weed identification question was sponsored by the local florists in Charleston SC.

Ask the Expert: Can you identify this plant? (weed) Picture enclosed, I hope, Thanks. Rufus

Plant Expert Reply:

The plant is called Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule). Members of the Lamium genus can run the gamut from annuls to perennials and from wanted to unwanted plants. In this case Henbit is usually considered a weed. It usually pops up in early spring in lawns, flower & shrub beds. In the lawn, you can spray 2 4 D to get rid of it. It is a little more tricky in the shrub beds because the 2 4 D will damage the shrubs and the flowers if the chemical gets on them. I recommend pulling the Henbit that is in the shrub, but would spray the Henbit that is in the lawn.

Flower Shop Network is a proud sponsor of this weed identification question.

Ask the Expert: what might this plant be?
Foud it in my wildflower garden next to False Sunflowers and New England
Asters. Might be a weed, Earl

Plant Expert Reply:

I believe it is a Acalypha virginica (Virginia threeseed mercury).  It is considered a weed with mild allergen properties.  It is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family.

Just a side note:  This plant is a sister to a houseplant called Chenille plant (Acalypha hispida).  Which just goes to show you one man's weed is another man's treasure.

Ask the Expert: what kind of weed is this?
My dad has a garden that has been growing an invasive ground cover weed that has clover shaped leaves with tiny white "flowers". He has sprayed with all sorts of weed killers and nothing seems to work. It seems to stay only in the garden and has not crept onto the grass. It's very viney like.. grows like a carpet. Has been tilled repeatedly.. he left the garden area unplanted for a year to see if that would help get rid of it but it keeps coming back. They seem to grow from the root. When pulled from the garden they always seem wet even when there has been no moisture applied to the garden at all. He suspects that it started in a small area and was spread by use of the tiller. They grow very close to the ground only.. max of 2" inches tall. He has tried to pull them many times and when he does the base of the weed (green) will pull off from a white, slippery, more solid structure. I do not have a photo available at this time but if you are not able to identify it I can post a picture soon for you to see. Any suggestions are welcome! Thank you for your time! Please let me know if a picutre is needed. My poor dad, an avid gardner, is completely stumped! I hope you can help! Thank you!  Misty McCollough

Plant Expert Reply:

It is difficult to make an identification just from the description you have given.  So I found some pictures of plants that could possibly be your dad's problem.  Please take a look at them and let me know which you think look the most like his.  Once we idenitify the plant, I will help figure a way to get rid of the problem.

Ask the Expert: fake wild onion?
During an overnight trip on the Smith River, one of our guides picked a wild onion to show us.  However, he said that there was another plant that was very similar but could kill you in 4 hours if ingested. He said it was called "death canis" (I"m not sure of the spelling).  Can you tell me if this is true?

I have all these great wild onions but I'm afraid to eat them. Patricia

Plant Expert Reply:

Meadow Death Camas

I'm not sure what plant the guide was referring to – Montana has a poisonous plant called Mountain Death-camas (Zigadenus venenosus). The leaves might look like onion leaves but it would really be a stretch. See how flat the leaves are? They look more like a lily leaf than an onion leaf even through they are in the same family. Onion leaves tend look more cylindrical.

Wild Onion

As for eating the wild onions in your yard, I probably wouldn't. Not because the plant is poisonous, more because of the taste. The onion genus – Allium has many members. However, not all have a pleasing taste. The wild onion and garlic species tend to be more pungent than the cultivated species.

If your wild onions are in your lawn, you need to be aware of their exposure to chemicals. I am always cautious when it comes to eating wild vegetation. However, all Allium bulbs are edible even if not palatable.

The Meadow Death-camas picture comes from the poisonous plant section of the Montana Plant Life site.

The Wild onion photo came from the Pacific Bulb Society Allium page.

Ask the Expert: please ID plant
I want to know if this plant should be in my planter or not.  I'm afraid that it may have been seeded by an airborn weed.  I can't taste anything with the leaf.  The plants are 4-6 inches high. Elaine

Plant Expert Reply:

I believe the plant is called Carpet Weed (Mollugo verticillata) and is something you do not want.  You would be correct that the seed probably blew into your pot.