They don't look like dahlias to me. Look weedy but I don't know for sure.

Thanks. They are about 4 'tall and have huge stalks. Guess I'll have fun digging them out!!!!

Thanks Sam's club!!!

It does look weedy, but I don't think I've ever seen it here and have no idea what sort of weed it is. If it is going to seed now, it undoubtedly is a cool-season weed that's trying to make seed, so hurry, hurry Sorie, and get rid of it before it makes enough seed to give you hundreds of weed seedlings next spring.

It's gone!!!!!

Yay! The very first time I ever had a velvetleaf plant spring up in my garden, I thought it was pretty and left it. It made seeds. The next year I had 50 of them and I yanked out every one as soon as I realized what it was. It is risky here in OK to leave an interesting plant to flower in order to see what it is because if it is a weed, you may find yourself dealing with its offspring forever.

I had a plant like this (only different) which I just had to find out what it was so I let it be. It finally put up a 3ft tall stalk and then finally bloomed. Walla-----I now know its common fleabane. I'm leaving it to bloom a while until the first sign of seeds, then out it comes. You can let a plant bloom just to solve the mystery and simply yank it before it forms seeds. Fleabane isn't going to get to do that.

Personally I get obsessed with wanting to know what it is.

I like plants with silver foliage and when I plant seed I get new seedlings that I don't recognize so I always let anything fuzzy or silvery grow on. Have you ever heard of Rabbit Tobacco? Its a great looking silvery plant when young but soon drops seeds so now, every year I have Rabbit Tobacco and it still fools me into thinking its something else. The stuff smells like flavored coffee even from a distance, its very strong even from several feet away, especially in the evening. Its also called Fragrant Cudweed.

This stuff happens a lot here because I grow a mostly native/wildflower landscape & sow lots of collected seeds I've gathered (then forget) and because I love mysteries. I just have to wait it out sometimes. One year I grew a tumbleweed (Russian Thistle) and let it fully mature before I finally ID'ed it, it came in on the dirt of a cactus someone collected for me in Albuquerque. I let the little plant attached to the soil grow in a spot in my hell strip just to see what it was. It formed a delicate perfectly round 'shrub' that looked interesting as texture because it had tiny thin leaves. As it turned out, it was the biggest mistake I ever let run the distance all the way to forming seed. I finally knew what it was when it up and blew down the street rolling to the park, the lightbulb went off immediately. It took me 4 years of careful weeding to finally see the last seedling which I can now recognize quite easily BTW.

Rabbit Tobacco

We have some of that fragrant cudweed here occasionally but not often. We have a lot more of that woolly croton that seems so common in disturbed fields with poor soil. It will take over an entire pasture if you keep letting it go to seed. I see some fields like that down near Thackerville a few miles south of us, but most everyone on our road mows it down at midsummer before it can make seed.

The Russian thistle thing is funny. We had it here in the early years and I just kept yanking out seedlings until new ones stopped sprouting. I was pretty sure from the start that it was Russian thistle, which I knew as tumbleweed from growing up in Texas. I didn't take it real seriously at first until I saw a bunch of tumbleweeds blowing down our road one day (not close to our house, but close enough to worry me) and I remember thinking I needed to yank out those suckers in our pasture before they started blowing around. I did.

For every yucky think I've had to remove, I've found plenty of reasons to let others stay, but I like to let the unknown plants pop up in the yard or flower beds or a pasture and then I watch them to see what they are. I don't want them popping up in my garden and staying for fear I'll forget about them and let them go to seed when maybe I should not.

I have not always been as diligent as I should be about removing field bindweed when it pops up along the garden fence. Because I grow lots of ornamental and edible vines on the fence, I often don't even notice it until it is head-high and flowering. Then, I look at that little flower, have a light bulb moment and scramble to find where the plant is coming up out of the ground and yank it out. I can keep field bindweed out of my garden beds really easily, yanking them as soon as they sprout. When they pop up in the fenceline, though, they blend in so well with existing plants that I have some sort of leaf-recognition-blindness and don't even realize they are there. Clearly bindweed is not a gardener's friend, so I'm trying to be more diligent about yanking out every single one growing on the fence before it can bloom and go to seed.

Dawn, I just have a yard so its pretty easy to keep an eye out here. The biggest problem I am having this year is Ravenna Grass. A plant volunteered next door right next to their house (looks like crap there, BTW) probably from the 3 plants growing in the yard behind them. Anyway, last year it was a fully mature specimen coming up to their roof line in height and at least 4ft wide after growing unchecked for the previous two seasons. I cannot believe how many seedlings I have pulled and they usually break off at the ground leaving a stump which will re-sprout. I am not exaggerating to say I've pulled at least 400 and probably more, its ridiculous. This is just one yard.

I notice it is being used as an ornamental grass in medians & along our streets and highways. I really think we will live to rue the day we ever introduced it into the state. I have Little Bluestem, Sideoats Grama, Blue Grama, Indian Grass & several Muhlenbergia types all of which only seed moderately. This Ravenna grass on the other hand is now seen by me as a Public Enemy. The seeds fly everywhere and there are millions on just one plant.

Photo from last year, its EVEN BIGGER now. Who wouldn't want a whole yard full of this monster grass or how about fields of it?

Oh no, that Ravenna grass surely sounds like it will become a huge problem and I agree that people in this state will rue the day that they planted it. I can't imagine having to pull up that many seedlings from one plant next door. I hope that you won't have that sort of a problem with their seeds every year (but since I doubt they'll cut it back before the seed matures, I think that you might).

I love the native grasses and enjoy watching them ebb and flow over the years, as some of the ones on our land do better in dry years and others do better in wet years. Overall, they keep one another in check as none of them really outgrows the others and just runs rampant. My favorite is Little Bluestem but Sand Love Grass would be a favorite if it would grow better in our clay (and Tim would hate it because it burns like mad). I love the curly mesquite grass too, but ours is at the back of the property, roughly 800 feet from the house, and in a copperhead-infested area, so I don't even get to see it that often. I'd rather have native grasses any day of the week than to have the weedy ones like Johnson grass, Dallis grass, goose grass and crab grass. I fight to keep those 4 out of my garden. Out in the fields, only Johnson grass will grow vigorously (if not mowed repeatedly) enough here to outgrow the native grasses.

I have to add that if I tried to grow any grass that tall near our house or any other structure on our property, Tim would be out there spraying it with a grass killer to get rid of it, and that would be after he'd cut it down and done his best to dig it up. That is such a fire hazard whether a person lives in the grasslands or in a regular neighborhood. Some of the grasses in the fields here are really starting to dry out in this extreme heat and that's not good.

Am wondering if I am foolish for wanting Pampas Grass. I've been wanting to plant some outside my fence where the soil is very poor.

"That is such a fire hazard" yeh. I'm counting on that for after I move, the city will burn my neighbor's butt. I'm beginning to think he left the Johnson grass to grow for privacy. Now, he has no idea I've reverted the garden.

If you are not in an area where grass fires/wild fires are a perpetual problem, I don/t think you should have much to fear from Pampas Grass as long as it is not growing close to a structure. I don't know how readily it reseeds, but I expect texasranger2 can tell you if it self-sows abundantly enough that you'd likely regret planting it. There are many other beautiful ornamental grasses that are not as hard to manage over the long term as pampas grass.

Since I live in grassland interspersed with woodland, I stay away from ornamental grasses, although I love them and would love to grow them. I have spent too much time out at grass fires and wild fires the last 12 years, including those which have spread to homes and set them afire, to ever have any tall grass in our landscape. If I lived in a town and not out in the sticks, I'd grow them, but still wouldn't have them too close to the house. The odds of any one of us having wild fire hit our property are undoubtedly low, but if it happens, tall grasses serve as fire ladders---allowing the fire to climb them and move up into or onto the next higher "thing"----which might be a shed, garage, gazebo, barn, house, etc.

Also, pampas grass gets huge, huge, huge and that's something to keep in mind if you plant it. I can only think of a couple of rural homes in my county where I've seen pampas grass planted properly with the wide spacing it needs. I most often see it used on either side of a driveway gate, planted well back from the gate, the fence and the driveway so that it does not encroach upon them. Folks who plant it too close to their driveway or mailbox or fence don't keep it for long because it quickly overwhelms them as it chews up all the available space and then just keeps on growing. It is a magnificent plant, but gets awfully big after a few years. Removing an established clump of pampas grass is very challenging. Even cutting it back annually is not easy.

Years ago I planted Pampass grass. I liked it. I had not problem with reseeding. It does get very large and is a chore to cut down every spring. Get out the chain saw. I guess in the right conditions it might be aggressive or if planted to close to a structure. But I enjoyed mine for years.

Revenna grass looks like a first cousin to Johnson grass. Not putting that in my landscape.

there are a lot of ornamental grasses that behave and easy to grow. I think each area has its thugs, it's just a shame that we usually have planted it before we realize it.

At the risk of offending someone I hate pampas grass. It looks out of place in Oklahoma probably because its not native for openers and it looks pretentious to my eye, as if we are trying to look like Florida. Its not as if we have no fabulous native ornamental grasses to choose from (kaw kaw) here in the worlds largest grassland (or at least it once was before the John Deere steel bladed plow was invented).

Secondly, it gets knocked back into an ugly clump when we have a bad winter and looks like a major eyesore for a couple years after.

Thirdly, it dies out in the center in a just a few years and most people just leave their ugly pampass doughnuts out there, again looking like eyesores + marking them as lazy homeowner.

Fourthly, its got razor sharp leaves which is why many people don't bother trimming it in spring or dividing the doughnuts when they need it, which they inevitably will need.

And lastly, to dig one out is such a massive undertaking, it might as well be a clump of yucca. I see ugly clumps all the time because so many people are drawn to exotic plants so about 4 or 5 years ago they started being over-planted to the point of gag and now they look like hell for the reasons above. I think the 'exotic' factor has died down, surely, since they are so commonly seen now and people will go on to the next exotic new kid on the nursery shelf.

Well, thats how I really feel about Pampas Grass in case anyone wants to know. They do not seed about so that is ONE point in their favor.

On a more positive note, a good large screening, hedge or specimen grass that visually fits in quite well here in Oklahoma is Sacaton wrightii (Giant Sacaton). I have a line of these planted along my east fence to block the view that I grew from seeds I bought from Plants of the Southwest for $2.50 three years ago. Its easy to trim and starts blooming in early June and then looks stunning backlit by the sun, it positively glows, until you cut it down in early spring.

High Country Gardens sells a cultivar developed by Los Lunas that is a huge one, its a kind of Giant Sacaton on steroids and it grows very fast, the leaves are wider and I prefer the unimproved myself. It was developed for windbreaks in the desert. 3 plants I ordered quickly got too big for my own space but its quite a clump of REALLY BIG grass and will easily take drought.

You rarely see it around here growing as an ornamental. Its not in the nursery trade but seeds are easy to come by and germinate easily. It will start blooming the second year and by the third is mature looking.

There are many Panicum (Switchgrass) varieties out there for sale are in high demand and they sell out fast online which are also good big native ornamental grasses. They are native to Oklahoma and make gorgeous big clumps which look great until trimmed back in early spring. They are becoming very popular in the US and Europe like all the various original prairie grasses are these days. They will take drought or standing water for periods of time.

Muhlenbergia linheimerii is another good big grass (Texas native). I see them for sale at the Home Depots and Lowes.

The Los Lunas type

The unimproved type:

Lindheimer's Muhly Grass

Panicum 'Northwind' from the Grass trials website. These are very vertical and easy to manage.

To each his own. I enjoyed my Pampass grass, it looked nice and I kept it neat. I will try some of the native grasses you have listed. Do they do well in unimproved clay or do they need a more sandy based soil? I have unimproved clay where I will plant them.

I should have kept quiet about the P. G.. Seems someone is always offended when you don't like a plant they like, I hope you aren't.

The Oklahoma and Texas natives like soil not too rich with good drainage for the most part. Unamended soil 'as is' is usually acceptable. No fertilizers. You can google any variety and find the particular preferences for each type of grass. Santa Rosa Gardens sells several native grasses and they have the info in the descriptions.

No offense take. I always respect an informed opinion. I have some desert willows that are doing well in my clay. I have planted drawf maiden grass that is growing slowly. I hope it adjusts and starts to take off next year. I would like to make a couple of long wind breaks with native grasses. Just ot sure what will grow well in clay.

We do have a big wooded area behind our yard, Dawn. That's one reason I was thinking about planting the Pampas Grass outside the fence by the road...and in a section where there are no plantings. One of the reasons I've hesitated growing P.G. is because we inherited two large plantings of wisteria that require a lot of pruning. Another is those sharp blades on the P.G. I was wondering if leather gloves and a hacksaw might work?

Lisa, don't you have Muhly grass in your landscape? If not, what is your planting? It's really pretty.

I have some Little Blue Stem seeds I was considering sowing next spring by a large rock that occurs naturally in our landscape. (In the middle of the yard.)

(No offense taken at all, TexasRanger!)

Carol, After the pampas grass is a couple of years old and well-established, a hacksaw won't work---your arms would fall off your body before you could cut your way through a clump of established pampas grass. It is a really tough plant. Stockergal wasn't joking when she suggested a chain saw. I wouldn't bother trying to cut it with anything less.

If you absolutely love it and must have it, then go for it (if you have or are willing to buy a chainsaw). Otherwise, the grasses texasranger posted photos of are much preferred. They are just as lovely but don't form such formidable clumps. We're in our 17th year here and I have steadfastly avoiding planting anything I believe will turn into a maintenance nightmare. I have wanted, for the entire 17 years, to plant bamboo so I could grow my own plant stakes, and I have resisted the desire to plant it this whole time because I don't want to be 80 years old someday and fighting 14 acres of bamboo that is impossible to control.

We have naturally-occurring bluestem in several places on our property and I love it, love, it, love it. We also have the really pretty Indian grass, and quite a lot of other smaller native grasses. I hope you'll enjoy having little bluestem. With our heavy clay content that drains slowly, some of the native grasses that need excellent drainage do not perform as well in the dense red clay as they do in a sandy or sandy loam soil, but the only one that really performs poorly is purple sand love grass. I thought ours was pretty until I saw the same grass actually growing in almost pure sand----and it was spectacular and huge compared to our tiny little clumps on our property.

I always wanted to plant pampas grass after we moved here, but then I decided to observe how it grew and performed on property near us for a couple of years to see if it gave the landowner any trouble. When I saw what an impossible thug is was, I crossed it off my list. Those particular homeowners took out their pampas grass not long after I decided I wouldn't plant any here. It was too close to their driveway and gate (it needs a lot of room to spread out into those huge clumps) and became a problem for them. No one else in our area has planted it, and the only place I see it now is at some ranch entrances in an area with soil much sandier than ours, in which it seems to grow like mad.

I'm all for growing what you like and want to grow, but always with the thought in mind that a person doesn't want to unleash a monster on their property. To me, even though it is very pretty, I consider pampas grass a monster.

Dawn

I am planting lots of Bluestem. I have gone native grass crazy of late. Look at this photo I found online of Li'l Blu planted along a road in a row. I find it inspiring. Once you fall in love with Little Bluestem, you are a goner.

Mature specimens of Little Bluestem planted in a row.

Here are some photos of my own efforts. I've been changing over to a native grass prairie since last year. I can't say enough about Little Bluestem or Switchgrass, both are low maintenance, easy to trim back in late winter and just about as perfectly suited to our conditions as it possibly gets. I am now working on an entire bank of Bluestem 'Blue Heaven' along the west side out back. Grasses look great mass planted.

Mid Summer, mass planting of Little Bluestem 'The Blues' at the south end of the yard. A work in progress

New planting of taller type up front in hellstrip. Its a beginning, the plants are still babies from seedlings planted mid summer last year. This largest one is up to my chin and very blue. I'm going to extend the plantings I've decided. Its not flopping as I feared it might. I got seeds at the History Museum here in OKC.

5 small new plants of 'Los Lunas' Little Bluestem purchased this spring from High Country Gardens. They are growing nice, straight and stiff. By next year each clump will be much more dramatic.

Backyard in winter last year. The grasses are fabulous in the sun. Switchgrass and bluestem

Speaking of monsters, I saw a very large area infested with trees between here and Stillwater. Adding to the mess was a huge stand of running Bamboo. It was absolutely hideous and depressing. Land ruined forever.

Which is why I'll never plant bamboo.

I love your landscape and photos!

Our grasses in the fields and alongside roadways are browning rapidly down here. We need rain in the worst possible way.

I am cactus crazy, love your pictures. What's your soil like? I assume from the cactus its very fast draining. My clay would not work well I'm afraid.

keep sending photos, I can dream as I look at your gardens.