Wild Weed Identification

[roadrunner]

It's definitely in the family of Asteracea, but I'm still leaning to something of the Genus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erigeron given the woody nature of the plant and the lack of "hair".

But will keep looking....

 

[MaryMary]

But will keep looking....

roadrunner, @Larisa named it for you in post #12.

Symphyotrichum pilosum, the Frost Aster. (Aster pilosus)

I searched images... Take a look, I believe she nailed it!

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs...-003&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-003

 

[MaryMary]

Thank you, @Sheal .. Do you know how I can use it? I got it when I dug up my heuchera. I thought it was called plantain, but when I googled, I got nothing, but bananas..

Google "Plantain weed" alp. (Or "English plantain" or "Narrowleaf plantain.")

For uses, there are many. I knew you could eat it, but there are more than that!

Uses
P. lanceolata is used frequently in herbal teas and other herbal remedies.[4] A tea from the leaves is used as a highly effective cough medicine. In the traditional Austrian medicine Plantago lanceolata leaves have been used internally (as syrup or tea) or externally (fresh leaves) for treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract, skin, insect bites, and infections https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_lanceolata

I remember the person on a programme chopped the weed up to use as growth hormone..

I can't find anything like that. Doesn't mean it isn't out there, sometimes google-fu fails me.

I was under the impression that just about any weed, chopped and steeped in water a couple days will make a fertilizer of sorts.

 

[alp]

@MaryMary Yes, now I can see a lot of videos on youtube. Don't think I will drink them, just in case. Mind you, a lot of people drink dandelion tea!

Thank you for the info.

 

[alp]

roadrunner, @Larisa named it for you in post #12.




I searched images... Take a look, I believe she nailed it!

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs...-003&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-003

But we all call it Aster, so much more easier!

 

[Sheal]

I remember the person on a programme chopped the weed up to use as growth hormone.. How can I use it like that,

Sorry @alp I haven't got a clue.

 

[alp]

Thank you for giving it a correct name, @Sheal !

 

[MaryMary]

Mind you, a lot of people drink dandelion tea!

Hey, now, don't make that face!

Every single part of the dandelion is edible.

 

[alp]

Have you tried it, @MaryMary ?

It's being sold in big bottle here. I only want to use it as a growth hormone replacement and I remember this person chopping them up and then I don't remember what happened next. I would love to use it this way and suddenly found there were something similar in my lawn.. It's like a god-send

 

[MaryMary]

Have I tried what? Dandelion, yes. Plantain, no.

What's being sold in a big bottle?

 

[alp]

Dandelion and elderflower, in a big bottle. Apparently, neighbour's grand daughter liked it. Sounds a bit wacky to me.

 

[roadrunner]

roadrunner, @Larisa named it for you in post #12.




I searched images... Take a look, I believe she nailed it!

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs...-003&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-003

I'm not so sure it is the same plant, despite looking at the pics. I've actually seen a lot of plants in this family that look very similar (in pictures), especially the pictures of the flowers.

When I look at the physical description (because the pics just don't show enough details) then I see problem, in the case of Symphyotrichum pilosum, the problem I have is the description of hair. I can't find any hair on my plants, maybe they had hair earlier in their growth, but lost it and that isn't included in the description.

So, I'm not totally discounting the possibility that it is that plant, but I'll just more accurately take notes next year when the seedlings come back.

There are also other discrepancies, such as the length of the plant and other things, but yes I do see the similarities in many of the pictures: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/fr_aster.htm

 

[MaryMary]

I'm not so sure it is the same plant, despite looking at the pics. I've actually seen a lot of plants in this family that look very similar (in pictures), especially the pictures of the flowers.

I paid more attention to the wild aster growing in the rocks at work. I noticed yesterday that they have two different growth habits. One has long stems, it's the one I showed in the picture. The other looks more like a bush. How does yours grow?

 

[roadrunner]

They grow straight up and then at some point (I'll have to pay more attention next year when the seedlings sprout) they fall over from their own weight, the main stem is small (about a 1/2-inch at the base) for the length the plant attains, which is at least 5 ft long (but probably longer). When they fall they get tangled up in whatever is around, due to the numerous small (very fragile) branches. That's another thing I want to do next year is provide some type of support and see how tall it gets, but I can see it being easily broken just from the wind, since the stem is fragile.

The result is that the plant looks like a small bush, but it's just a bunch of plants that are tangled up together and there's no real way of untangling them without severe damage to the plant(s).

 

[alp]

I so wanted to look at the plant again, but last time I tried, I saw nothing but meter reading thingy.. I don't want to scroll again. At this rate, I will have no finger print left in my fingers because of the scrooooooll disease.. and probably can commit any crimes without being caught.