Monday, May 7, 2012

Green, Green, Green

 Help! Sharkbytes.  Not actually asking you to help pull weeds, but tell me what the heck this is.This deceptively attractive creature has invaded our wildflower garden and our day lily beds with a vengeance.  Don't recall having this in previous years, but we have it now.

The leaves are in pinwheel formation and up to an inch in length.  The flowers are tiny, a couple of millimeters, some singles, some in clusters of up to a half-dozen.  It is easy to pull, but it is sticky, almost as though putting ones fingers in a paste-pot.


Sharkbytes, or Sharkey, or Shark is a naturalist par excellence.   If this plant is  native to her bailiwick, she will know its name, and much more.  These plants provided me with a good bit of Saturday afternoon entertainment, as I pulled, and pulled.  Much more difficult to pull were the thistle which we have every year.  The thistle produces a lovely  lavender flower which the butterflies like.  We don't mind a few, for we can usually behead them before they strew their seeds, but too many is more than enough.
Gardening is so much fun!  Wish I had the energy for it.


9 comments:

Shelly said...

I don't know the name of it, but it is very green. I once bought purslaine at a health food place that was supposed to be high in all kinds of vitamins, etc. When we got it home and I opened it, it was the EXACT thing I'd been pulling from the yard as a weed.

Lin said...

I don't know what that is. I hope Sharkey can solve the mystery. :)

Pearl said...

Can't say that I recognize the sharkbite!

Pearl

Secondary Roads said...

I could use some energy, but for gardening I need relief from back pain. I last maybe 10 minutes on a good day. :(

vanilla said...

Shelly, I'd laugh if it would be laughing with you and not at you. We have a nice stand of Echinacea in our garden; that's available in the health-food store, too.

Lin, I'm hoping she does.

Pearl, we can only wait and see what we shall see.

Chuck, the old back does complain, betimes.

Sharkbytes said...

Yep! It's a bedstraw, probably Galium asprellum. My book is in the car, and it's raining, and I'm in my pjs. Definitely in that Genus, though!

vanilla said...

Shark, I knew I could rely on you! Please don't ever go out in the rain on such a mission. Well, in your pj's anyway. Put that Latin phrase in the old googler, and picture that almost replicated mine popped up. Thanks.

momto8 said...

we have that..whatever it is.

vanilla said...

Annmarie, I believe Shark identified it, I pulled it, and all's well in the garden! Thanks for visiting; please come again.