Am working to identify what's growing in my yard. I don't think I planted this (sometimes the birds bring gifts). Or....maybe I did plant it and forgot. I'm talking about the lighter green plant in the photo. Anyway, the leaves are < 1" wide and over 6-8" long. They have little hairs on them and the stem is hairy as well. About a foot tall now.

Thanks, Lynne

I spend a lot of time pulling that one out of my flower beds, Lynne. I don't know the name, but I know I don't want it.

It is called Horseweed, Conyza canadensis
http://www.eattheweeds.com/con...

I agree, looks like Horseweed that I pull from my yard too:

Horseweed (Erigeron canadensis)

http://www.wildflower.org/plan...

http://foragefax.tamu.edu/2013...

Thanks. I think that's it. On the other side of the house, I just pulled some of those flowers. I knew I didn't plant them, so was afraid they would be too 'happy'. Pulled them and didn't pay attention to the stems and leaves. Perfect match to the online photos. And they are growing under a tree where birds could have left them.

Thanks,

Looks like Conyza bonariensis, Hairy Horseweed.

Conyza canadensis is a smaller plant.

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

http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bi...

LynneHTx said: And they are growing under a tree where birds could have left them.

Thanks,

They don't need help from the birds. The seeds are wind dispersed.

Metrosideros said:Looks like Conyza bonariensis, Hairy Horseweed.

Conyza canadensis is a smaller plant.

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

http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bi...

I think you got it backwards. Conyza bonarienses only reaches about 2.5 feet and Conyza canadensis can reach a height of 7 feet. But the one in the photo is still young and has not reached it's full height yet, so I don't think that can be used as an ID.

http://www.illinoiswildflowers...
http://www.iewf.org/weedid/Con...

C. bonariensis gets 4 to 8 ft. tall with leaves to 6 in. long by 1 inch wide. Leaves are densely pubescent.

C. canadensis get 5 to 6 ft. tall with leaves 1.5 to 4 in. long by 0.1 to 0.25 in wide. Leaves are glabrous to coarsely hirsute.

The leaves in the above photo are too large and fuzzy to be C. canadensis.

Why don't we just call it Horseweed, or Conyza, and be happy with that?

I don't have (much) of an opinion about which species it is. But, I do know this, Conyza canadensis is a highly variable species. It's leaves can be very rough and hairy (which is what coarsely hirsute means) or very smooth (glabrous). I've seen flowering individual plants anywhere from 6 inches to 10 - 15 feet tall. Leaf size is similarly variable. In short, the plant pictured in the original post absolutely CAN be Conyza canadensis, although you might have to wait for flowers to be sure which species it is. That said, I wouldn't recommend allowing it to flower since both species are a pain in the rear in garden situations.