What is this plant? - Ask Extension
I originally got this as a stray seedling with a peony plant I purchased at a local nursery. I potted it out of curiosity. It's grown into a lovely ...
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What is this plant? #874057
Asked June 21, 2024, 11:38 AM EDT
I originally got this as a stray seedling with a peony plant I purchased at a local nursery. I potted it out of curiosity. It's grown into a lovely good sized plant. Can you tell me what this is? Thank you for your help.
Isanti County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hello, happy to help.
I suspect it may be a weed but I'd be happy to continue working with you to identify it. Could you send a photo of its flower and what month it bloomed when that happens? Though the question may look closed, when you add a reply, it will reopen and notify me.
Thanks!
So far there hasn’t been a hint of blossom or flower. Below are pics from just now. The largest leaf is now 7.5”.
I have not seen anything like this growing wild in our area. I live in rural Isanti county. Sandy soil country.
Thank you so much for your help.
Vicki Nielsen
Hello Vicki,
It's burdock an invasive weed. The common burdock can be found everywhere in Minnesota but there are three varieties and all of them are invasive and should be eradicated. Here is information about all three types from Minnesota Wildflowers. You could cut one of the stems to see if it's hollow or not. If not hollow, it is the likely newer variety called Actium lappa.
Good-luck!
Thank you so much for researching this for me. The leaves do look similar to the Great Burdoch. Leaves on the other 2 are too pointy. I don’t see any branchy stem coming up or flower buds. I got this seedling in April.
Perhaps this matures late summer? Being as it is contained in a pot on my patio I will let it mature to see what it does. Should be interesting. Thank you again for naming my Mystery Plant and letting me know I shouldn’t plant it in the garden!
Vicki Nielsen
This work is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension grant no. 2020-41595-30123 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.