Pokeweed? If it is there was probably some last year that flowered and then produced berries that birds spread all over.

Mammals are said NOT to forage (although something is eating chunks of foliage here) because of toxicity of mature leaves. Berries are also toxic but seeds pass through songbirds without breaking down.

You think they're nice when it's only a couple of plants and the birds like berries.

The next year you find them all over your property and have to pull them out all year.

You can tell it's Pokeweed by pulling one up getting the root. It has a taproot that looks like a strange white carrot. If you don't pull them up when smallish the taproot has to be dug out with some effort and even then some have probably gone unnoticed to return the following year.

I also spy that invasive ginger in the lower left of last photo that's spread like wild fire from woods into lawn all over. Can pull til the cows come home and it returns every year.

Hope you find out what it is in case it's going to become an invasive pain.

Hi, well I think you are right about th pokeweed. I have seen it in my woods and the birds strip it bare so I don't mind having it. I'll wait and see if the berries develop but I think you hit it. The weed in the lower left corner of the photo is garlic mustard and it is a BIG pain in the rearend. Thanks.

Hi,

Looks more like stinging nettles but since you didn't mention it stings when you touch it, I don't think that's it either, so not sure, but it isn't pokeweed. That has a smooth, shiny leaf and stem.

Chris

It struck me as being in the nettle family as well. There are a lot of nettles, and they aren't all stinging nettle. I don't think it resembles poke at all.

Hi everybody, well i just went out and found myself a pokeweed and I think you are right- this is not pokeweed. I pulled up a plant in question and it comes out of the ground easily and doesn't have a tap root. The Pokeweek is much bigger with dull leaves and a short of succulent stem - I should have remembered that from the past. Somebody suggested that it could be mint but there is no scent at all. It smells "weedy" when you crush it. Maybe I'll google nettles. It definitely doesn't sting when you touch it. if it's nettles will it flower? Now I'm REALLY curious.
thanks

OMG, I had no idea those little leaves that have spread from woods into the lawn are first year basal rosettes of taller second/third year taller plants with white flowers!

I spent one entire day in May pulling the taller plants with white flowers from under tree canopy on 2 wooded side & back yards at my fathers.

I've been pulling up the small things I thought were some wild ginger from around plantings trying to hold it back but didn't know the two were connected until I looked on "invasive.org" and saw the growth progression from year to year.

Unfortunately, I can't take a blow torch to it like they show people doing in eradication programs from natural areas...but I'd sure like to. Bet the miseravle Chinese Wisteria vines and literal trees would survive!

It's impossible to keep one piece of property clear of all these invasives when the neighborhood and entire county are full of them. I can't help myself, though.

It's a 5 year process to rid an area of garlic mustard seed bank in an intermediate infestation but after 5 years trying to clear the area around my father's property it'll still be all over the woods and neighbor's properties.

Here's a link to photo of young nettle foliage. The veining on the leaves comes from basal center of each leaf. Veining on foliage in your last photo looks like they all come from center vein and extend out to leaf margins. Don't know if different nettles have variety of vein patterns, though.

Check some roots of larger plants if you haven't already...the thick "white carrot" tap root might be a further clue to at least rule out Pokeweed.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:246486}}

I don't know what it is, but I do know what it's not. This is not poke, nor mint.

OK, does anybody have a suggestion for me about where to turn next to find out what this is? I've tried Perennials, Name That Plant and Weeds so far. Thanks.

I would try the "Natives" and the "Wildfowers" forums.

Why don't you send an email to the New England Wild Flower Society and see if they would be willing to do a plant ID for you? They know natives and invasives inside and out....

Here is a link that might be useful: New England Wild Flower Society

Ir reminds me of Virginia Mountain mint.

Hello anita55,
your unknown ''weed'' from the mint family is called Galeopsis tetrahit. And if I recall well it's pretty easy to unroot

Michel André

I thought you plant was Acalypha. They start off shiny like your pic and seem to sprout in clumps too. Normally there is a red tinge to the center.
Here's one link with the red.
http://www.missouriplants.com/Greenalt/Acalypha_rhomboidea_page.html
The link below shows all green leaves.
Of course I could be completely wrong : )
Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: Acalypha

Hi folks, well, Michel is the winner,(If I had looked at your profile I probably would have looked no further!) got the id right, according to the New England Wildflower Society. Thanks Mayalena for the suggestion and to all who wrote. Here is the email I received:

ItÂs hemp-nettle (Galeopsis tetrahit), a member of the mint family (swollen stem below the node a good indicator!). ItÂs non-native, but not considered invasive

Not invasive, but how aggressive? I think I have this sprouting up all over (posted some pics in the Weeds forum). newbie in nj, I feel your pain. I had the same experience and spent several days this spring pulling out garlic mustard and then, where practicable, doing repeated doses of Roundup on the babies as well. I can still see some babies, and I'm going to have to get out there in my woods in prime mosquito season and deal with them. I am sure they will be back over the next years, and I guess I'll just keep at it. Wish the neighbors would do the same. :-\