Mystery Weed
Okay, let’s see who’s the fastest.
Identifying weeds is not really my strong suit. This picture was taken by Jo in North Carloina, but I have a similar looking weed in my garden here in Amsterdam. It must be a very common weed. Does anyone know the name of it? It has fuzzy leaves, and a creeping growth habit.
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16 Responses to “Mystery Weed”
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It looks like a kind of purslane to me? Perhaps?
I don’t think it’s purslane. We do have purslane here, but purslane is sort of “succulent”. The leaves are thick and glossy and the stems are purplish. Also, it doesn’t grow until late spring and early summer.
Good thought though! The leaf habit is almost the same.
Might be a type of chickweed.
Hi Ash, thanks for stopping by! It’s nice to hear from you again.
I don’t think it’s chickweed. I have chickweed all over my plots, and this is something different. Chickweed almost instantly develops white flowers as it emerges, and I haven’t seen any flowers on this yet. This is also a much larger and sturdier plant.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Hi Patrick. Common mouse ear would be my guess. I understand that it’s a host for cucumber mosaic virus.
I have never seen flowers on this plant. Mouse ear? I have never heard of that! I’m checking on it….
A google on “mouse ear weed” brings up what appears to be a couple different plants. One is “Mouse Ear Hawk Weed” which is a flowering, upright plant. This isn’t our weed. The other is “Mouse Ear Chickweed”. It’s possible this is the correct ID. The problem I have is that some of the photos show a round/ovalate leaf and other photos show an elongated ovalate leaf. Our plant is definitely more rounded.
Patrick, what do you think? Oh yea, don’t google “mouse ear”.
I second the vote for mouse ear or as I call it hairy chickweed. I have lots in my garden.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nursery-weeds/weedspeciespage/mouseear_chickweed/field_chickweed_vs_mouseear.html
Some pictures
Yes, I think it’s mouse ear chickweed. Thanks mostlygardening and Simon for that!
I sure have a lot of chickweed, but not much mouse ear.
Common chickweed usually comes about with excessive digging of the soil, because when the seeds are at least a few centimeters deep they stay viable for 10+ years, so digging or tilling brings the seeds up to the surface. The best way to control it is by mulching instead of digging, then the seeds stay in the ground.
Glad that mystery is solved. My mouse ear chickweed is mostly a lawn weed interstingly enough.
Thanks for the help OG!
Great photos there OG. Our lawn has a lot of relatively dead soil. Interestingly enough though, it’s much greener than our neighbors grass lawn. That made his wife really jealous the first year we lived here. Anyhow, it’s green because of all the weeds which green up earlier than the grass.
can u smoke it
looks like oregano
http://www.abigailsherbblogsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/oregano-greek-plant.jpg
This looks identical to a weed in my garden also, and has small white flowers.. The leaves and stems appear to be very strong, however the leaves are not fuzzy.