so uh hello excuse me! im new so pardon me if this post isn't worded correctly.

does anybody know what this plant is?




asking because it seems to be growing everywhere in the patch of land outside my backyard! it's got leaves that feel rough to the touch and a complete lack of blossoms, which is why I'm here because my plant ID apps keep telling me this is goldenrod. I've also got a friend who tells me it looks like marestail, however Wikipedia is incredibly unhelpful in this department because what goes by the common name "marestail" looks nothing like what I'm after. For the record, here's a google search image of the plant I want the scientific name for:



whereas Wikipedia turns me up for plants that look nothing like that. The species it refers to as "marestail" are the Hippuris and Equisteum genus, along with Conyza canadensis. (Those are in order of the pictures below)





So please help? This plant is obviously none of those, yet a scientific name eludes me. I really wanna know what this plant is because it's driving me crazy.

I think your plant ID apps might be right; it does look like it could be a Goldenrod (Solidago) species to me. Goldenrod won't bloom until late summer - fall, so I would leave it and take photos of the flowers when they do appear for a firm ID.

Your friend might be thinking of "horseweed", but I don't think that's your plant: http://www.mississippi-crops.c...

Muddy1 said:I think your plant ID apps might be right; it does look like it could be a Goldenrod (Solidago) species to me. Goldenrod won't bloom until late summer - fall, so I would leave it and take photos of the flowers when they do appear for a firm ID.

Your friend might be thinking of "horseweed", but I don't think that's your plant.

(Removed your link because I'm not allowed to post with links, sorry.)
That horseweed thing looks closer to my plant than goldenrod, because nobody around here has ever recalled these plants blooming. I've never seen blooming goldenrod—does it have rough leaves? Does horseweed? That seems to be my determining factor for identification.

Also, this plant doesn't have smooth leaves like goldenrod. It has lobed...if that's the correct word—leaves. Goldenrod has smooth leaves, right? This one has slightly spiked leaves.

Actually, I think horseweed isn't it either. This plant doesn't have a hairy stem.

Pull up a few of these plants, already!

You say that there are a lot of them. Horsetail (Conyza sp.) is an annual plant, and is easy to pull out of the ground. Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) is a perennial, and spreads into colonies by underground stolons. This is a great way to separate plants that seem to look a lot alike by just comparing leaves/stems.

Looks more like Goldenrod to me. It is definitely NOT Equisetum sp.

ViburnumValley said:Pull up a few of these plants, already!

You say that there are a lot of them. Horsetail (Conyza sp.) is an annual plant, and is easy to pull out of the ground. Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) is a perennial, and spreads into colonies by underground stolons. This is a great way to separate plants that seem to look a lot alike by just comparing leaves/stems.

Looks more like Goldenrod to me. It is definitely NOT Equisetum sp.

Thank you! Will do. Apparently a google search just revealed to me that some varieties of horseweed are hairless. Great advice, thank you again! I can't wait to do that tomorrow because it's too dark now.