PRACTICAL PARSIMONY: What is This Weed?

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

What is This Weed?

8 feet tall

Sometimes, I allow a weed to grow just to see what it is. Do you know what it is? The very top has cylindrical things, pink, that will soon flower. I DO NOT want to disperse the seeds unless this weed is edible.

6 feet tall

Here is a picture with the setting sun shining on it, making the dark green leaves very pale. Both these were in open areas that the last mower did not mind leaving unmowed!

Your turn
These need to be beheaded, at least, before the seeds disperse. Does anyone have a clue as to what these might be?

11 comments:

Elephant's ChildAugust 28, 2014 at 12:40 AM
Other than a very healthy weed I am clueless.
And isn't it always the way. A volunteer plant will take off where things you have nurtured and coaxed will turn up its toes.
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LindaAugust 28, 2014 at 1:15 AM
EC,
It IS a healthy weed. The basil died with tender care!
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WendyAugust 28, 2014 at 6:36 AM
I have no idea either. When I'm trying to identify a plant I use google images. I type in "plant, northern ontario, tall, pink flower, broadleaf..." or whatever details stand out. Then I look through all the pictures and open the ones I think are a match. It works not too bad. Occasionally one evades me, but most are pretty good.
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SnowbrushAugust 28, 2014 at 9:22 AM
It's been too long for me to remember Southern weeds, but it looks like it's in the Sunflower (aka composite) family. This might help you find it in a guide.
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CaddieAugust 28, 2014 at 12:07 PM
It appears to be a dandelion by the leaf shape. I have them. Cut the seed heads off. It will continue to grow but not spread. As you may know, dandelion is very healthful...for whatever ails you...chock full of good stuff. Definitely not a sunflower, Snow.
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UnknownAugust 28, 2014 at 4:49 PM
It's gypsy weed/hounds tongue (a dozen other names). Not great for cattle, and there are several colors -- from pink, to dusky red, and occasionally blue flowers. Officially a "weed". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynoglossum_officinale
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CherdoAugust 30, 2014 at 11:46 AM
That weed is the KING of weeds. I'm intrigued...
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SnowbrushAugust 31, 2014 at 6:17 PM
Sunflower (composite) is the genus name, and there are probably thousands of plants within the genus. It's the largest plant genus because what looks like one flower is in reality lots and lots of flowers, and this makes the genus highly successful at propagation.
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Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.

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Fancy is my favorite hen. She is one of the three youngest hens I adopted. Because she is so gentle and friendly, she may be the one I rescued when she was being pecked to death after she could no longer stand. She got to live in the house in a box. Sometimes, I let her sit in my lap while she was convalescing. Now, she comes to sit in the swing with me, cuddling up to my body like a cat or dog. She died in February 2012.

Fancy follows me begging, complaining, needing me to do for her. She talks to me in various voices. She allows me to pick her up and carry her. When she became an adult, her head was a darker red and her body was light brown. Around her neck were tips of black feathers. It appeared she had a necklace of jet around her neck. When I showed this characteristic to a friend, he said, "Oh, you have fancy chickens and plain chickens."

Chessie has a broken toe. I broke it! She had a habit of jumping really high and almost sticking. A raccoon ate her in October 2009.

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Louise is the auburn-feathered hen. She looks like the true Rhode Island Reds in pictures. She is almost as large as Thelma. Some days I suspect she is trying to be top chicken. When I got Pepper, I found out Louise is the Alpha hen.

Pepper came here from the same home as the first four. We were discussing putting red pepper on their food, wondering if it really would increase egg production. Pepper is the only name we agreed on. She is terrorized each day by Louise. Even after the worst was over, she was and is still filled with terror and very wary.

Linda is owned by four hens. They allow her to fetch for them. She loves them dearly, so she allows them to boss her around. Linda comes out in the rain to perform chores for them and make sure they have food and water. She begs scraps from all sorts of places to make sure they have fresh fruits and vegetables.

Parsimony is not a vegetable

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Okay so maybe "parsimony" is not your thing. How about thrift, frugality or just plain saving money? I try not to go the tightwad route as that seems to imply others will suffer from my habits.

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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

What is This Weed?

11 comments: