def new growth at the axis

Does your plant, Allison, have somewhat squarish stems? The leaves look a dead ringer for Verbena hastata, Blue Vervain, which is in every US state and almost all of Canada http://www.minnesotawildflower...

The serrations on Verbena hastata are much more pronounced, unless they are variable.

http://luirig.altervista.org/s...

Janet, yep, the leaf margins can be serrate or double serrate and probably anything in between. Some leaves may be 3-lobed at the leaf base which I think I see on the photos. Here's a different look http://www.missouriplants.com/...

The basic question though is if it's not a 4-angled stem, then it's not Verbena no matter what the leaves look like

The flowers I think might have to be the determining factor, Epilobium coloratum:

http://www.illinoiswildflowers...

Description: This native perennial plant is 1-4' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are square or round, and usually pubescent where new growth occurs, becoming glabrous with age. The hairless leaves are opposite or alternate along the stems, sessile or with short petioles, and up to 4" long and ½" across. They are narrowly lanceolate in shape, and sometimes have purple veins or spots. There are 4-8 teeth per centimeter along the margin of each leaf.

The new growths coming from the leaf axils do look promising, but I guess there's a few which look like this.

The flowers on Verbena hastata appear to come from the top?

http://www.missouriplants.com/...

Well, maybe from leaf axils too! The leaves do look a little broader in general though, gee I need to get a life.

http://www.ct-botanical-societ...

Wait for flowers, yes?

And of course, Janet, while we're searching every plant known in the US, Allison has probably got tired of the plants and weeded them out

We are asking a gardener to please grow a very common weed until it flowers at probably 6' just so those of us without a life can identify it. So sad....

oh i weeded a ton of them out already.. but sure I missed some.. don't think it will be a problem.. the stem is round for sure

I had actually gone out this morning to look at my verbena hastata to compare...noticed the square stems and thought, "nope, not that one".

krancmm said:And of course, Janet, while we're searching every plant known in the US, Allison has probably got tired of the plants and weeded them out

We are asking a gardener to please grow a very common weed until it flowers at probably 6' just so those of us without a life can identify it. So sad....

Sad lot aren't we?

The 'bug' gets you though, if you can't find it then you darned well are going to have to, come what may!

I sometimes ask myself what on earth am I doing, I have loads of photos which need editing, naming and sorting, yet I have to find that darned plant!

JRsbugs said:I sometimes ask myself what on earth am I doing, I have loads of photos which need editing, naming and sorting, yet I have to find that darned plant!

Amen!! Is there a psychologist member of ATP to deal with Obsessive Plant Identification?

JRsbugs said:

Sad lot aren't we?

The 'bug' gets you though, if you can't find it then you darned well are going to have to, come what may!

I sometimes ask myself what on earth am I doing, I have loads of photos which need editing, naming and sorting, yet I have to find that darned plant!

and trust me.. we are thankful for it!!!!

krancmm said:

Amen!! Is there a psychologist member of ATP to deal with Obsessive Plant Identification?

Onewish1 said:

and trust me.. we are thankful for it!!!!

I think due to popular request, we had best leave the psychologist out of it (I'm sure there's one here somewhere), I doubt we would listen to one anyway.

Here is a suggestion. Could it be this onoe Epilobium angustifolium. It really is a lovely plant but it distributes quickly. Lots of it here in my neighbourhood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...

Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum is in NJ, and is a synonym of Epilobium angustifolium subsp. circumvagum.

USDA list it as Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub ssp. circumvagum ..

http://plants.usda.gov/java/pr...

http://luirig.altervista.org/s...

Leaf venation doesn't match this species..

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/...

I think this one in the container is the same as the one I posted (ignore the crab grass next to it)

Do you think I was close (or correct) with Epilobium coloratum?

http://delawarewildflowers.org...

Certainly an Epilobium. Looks like Fringed Willowherb (Epilobium ciliatum).

Descriptions of both ..

http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scri...

http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scri...

http://luirig.altervista.org/s...

The leaves look more elongated like Epilobium coloratum.

http://luirig.altervista.org/s...

http://www.illinoiswildflowers...

http://www.missouriplants.com/...

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/...

might be a winner

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/...