Months ago I found this grass-like plant inside a bag of garden soil. Naturally I was curious so I potted it up.



Here it is as of today. I know it's a type of grass but does anyone recognize the species? It has no oder or anything to it, it's just a happy lump of grass.

I wouldn't be surprised if it ends being some kind of Dianthus.

Definitely not grass. My ID app says tarragon, but my French variety is much less delicate so I can't confirm that.

Opposite leaves, so not tarragon. Dianthus, maybe. A hundred other things, maybe.
I would be really cross if I bought soil with a weed in it. I would want a refund.

Dirt is where weeds are found, why would that be so distressing?

If it happens to be something like Dianthus, which people pay for, is it a weed?

If I pay for "dirt" in a bag I might not be surprised at weed seeds, but a live weed is unacceptable. Some people have lower standards.

well, California is a different world than most of us live in....I would expect it to be an alien life form if found in Cali, but down here? Hey, that bag is good dirt, it has a living plant surviving and thriving in it.
Hmm, just curious, Anne, any clue where your bag of soil was bagged?

Thank you for your responses. I was not disappointed in finding a plant in the soil just intrigued. I never find plants in the bags, this is a first. Most of what I find in my soil is 75% wood and tree bark pieces. Sometimes a small rock.
I'm pretty sure it's not tarragon, the plant has no scent to it, even when rubbed. You can't always trust a plant ID app. A dianthus species might be a possibility but I have a feeling it's some type of grass. It could be an invasive one for all I know. Here are more pics if it helps.




Here it is in comparison to dianthus caryophyllus 'Ripple Raspberry'.

kittriana said: well, California is a different world than most of us live in....I would expect it to be an alien life form if found in Cali, but down here? Hey, that bag is good dirt, it has a living plant surviving and thriving in it.
Hmm, just curious, Anne, any clue where your bag of soil was bagged?

I *think* it was a bag of Sta-Green garden soil I bought at Lowe's. Sta-Green soil is extremely low in fertility so I can't see anything but weeds/grass thriving in it without proper food. I didn't provide this NO-ID plant much feed as it grew, and it's proven to be happy so far.

I wonder if they make their mix partly by recycling dumped out plant pots. I do hope/wish that all that peaty mix in discarded plants wasn't getting landfilled.

It's not a grass; it's a dicot, not a monocot.

Please post a picture when it has flowers!

kittriana said: well, California is a different world than most of us live in....I would expect it to be an alien life form if found in Cali, ...

You're just jealous.

kittriana said: well, California is a different world than most of us live in....I would expect it to be an alien life form if found in Cali, but down here? Hey, that bag is good dirt, it has a living plant surviving and thriving in it.
Hmm, just curious, Anne, any clue where your bag of soil was bagged?

I'm not sure what California has to do with finding a plant in a bag of soil - especially since the particular bag was bought in Texas. Unless of course someone just wants to be snarky towards another poster for having an opinion.

I wouldn't "freak" if I found something growing in a bag of soil. I'd probably do what TomatoNut did and pot it and let it grow to see what it ended up being. Keep us posted!

Chuckl, trust me, I have more snark than I EVER allow to be heard. That was actually meant as I wrote it. Nope, you guys forget, I wandered in and out, up and down Cali's unique landscapes for over 30 yrs. I know the state has - I don't know, split record keeping, split landscapes, alien and treacherous areas, I have driven 18 wheels up I5 near Shasta on 3' of grit and ice higher than the road, been in the Santa Ana's, waved at Death Valley on my way across, been in sandstorms dark as midnight. I am SO not jealous of Cali, but it is the opposite view of 'it came with a living plant, let's take it back for a refund' attitude that is becoming extremely prevalent lately. I would hope a bag of dirt would support plant life! The word species triggered my mind on the little green men spotted near Hollywood….hence alien life. Never mind, my query about where dirt was bagged is more of a freight logistics thing, gives me an idea of where to search for the plants that grow there.
Sally, my experience working in a commercial greenhouse is that used dirt is bad and is not reused like small gardeners are apt to do, so it is piled up and carried off somewhere with all their fertilizers still in it, but state laws might be different about that sort of thing in different states. Now, if I ask the computer the proper query, I might get an answer other than dirt is bagged by Lowe's- which is kinda like thinking milk comes from the grocery store…

I thought it was a very funny comment, Kat. 😄
Here in New Mexico, home to Roswell and Area 51, we embrace our aliens (all kinds). You can even buy tinfoil hats at the UFO museum. 👽

Okay, 'dirt' is bagged near lumber yards where the logs are stripped and what is stripped has no chems in it as it composts, (I know we have Monterrey Mushroom in Madisonville, Tx and I believe it was Scotts who bought, mixed and bagged the mushroom composts that are sold locally.) That was the other thing, MOST of those soils are sold within 150 mile radius from where they are 'manufactured'. HOWEVER, Sta Green has some fancy stuff they bring recycled forest products from Idaho and California, pine bark from Georgia, and other than that, apparently the Sta Green Gold is crafted in the Carolinas.... @Hortica will it bloom?

That is no more prevalent in California than anywhere else. I don't know a single person, in any state or country, who would think to return the bag because it had a plant in it. That is not a prevalent attitude.

And to be fair to Iochroma, they stated that IF the bag had a LIVE WEED in it, that would be unacceptable. They did not state that they would return the bag because it had a plant growing in it.

I've been all over this state for 60 years. Spending time in all its various terrains - not just driving through it. It's an amazing place and full of beauty and natural power.

I'm older than you so can say with great authority that Kat knows more about California than either of us. Just ask her.

PS: Only tourists call California 'Cali'.

I tried google lens, saw real pretty plants, but... As stated above... wait for blooms.