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actionclaw

Northern Ohio native wild plants

Here's a few wild plants growing here in northern Ohio I still haven't been able to identify.

I'm
hoping they may be edible (I have lots of it throughout the year), have
medicinal benefits or are otherwise useful for something other than
compost greens.
Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Plant # 1.



Plant # 2.



Plant # 3.

I'm not sure if it was a different plant or if it's a biennial thing but I think in the past these became long trailing vines that bore "fruit" in the form of little round, papery "pods".

Thanks for any help.

Comments (10)

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    8 years ago

    Are you sure these are 'wild' plants? Or have they just naturalized and spread over a large area?

    The first looks a lot like ajuga and the second looks like lamiastrum. Both of these are introduced species and not native or wild plants. Have you seen either of them flower? (the white flower appearing with second plant appears to be something else entirely). I have no idea what the 3rd is....looks like a number of things.

  • peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
    8 years ago

    #1 does look like Ajuga.

    #2 Acalypha rhomboidea - Three seeded mercury?

    #3 Something in Malvaceae.

  • carol23_gw
    8 years ago

    #2 Pilea pumila, Clearweed.

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    8 years ago

    I like

    Ajuga for #1

    Pilea pumila for #2

    Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot) for #3

    I would strongly suggest that you confirm IDs before using any plants for food or medicine.

  • Atlamol
    8 years ago

    Agreed with NHBabs

  • ActionClaw (Northern Ohio zone:5a/5b)
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    OK, technically, I probably shouldn't have used the term "native" since, at the time of writing, I didn't know. I simply meant, not intentionally purchased, sown, growing wild (I don't much care for the term "weed") possibly in the same way Dames Rocket, Garlic Mustard, Ground Elder, etc., etc. now grow here "naturally" though they were brought here hundreds (..or thousands?) of years ago.

    You got a hit with the Ajuga. We do have it with leaves of varying shades in certain areas of the yard and earlier in the year, do have similar blue flowers. Also, when I saw "Bugleweed" I remember I came to that same conclusion several years ago but apparently forgot. I'll look into it further but at this point, I'm glad to see that, at least some varieties, are both edible and medicinal.

    Pilea pumila (L.) A. Gray, Canadian Clearweed
    I've read about this plant before (and, surprisingly, that some presumably mistake it for Nettles?) but never made the connection. I wouldn't really consider my stems "clear" or translucent but, yep, in every other way Pilea pumila it is. Thanks!!

    I'm still not sure if I'd agree with either suggestion for #3. I should have included something to show scale as this is generally, a fairly common leaf shape. From the tip of the leaf to where it joins the petiole, the leaves shown measure 4 to about 7". It kind of reminds me of some sort of melon. I'll have to remember to pay more attention to the bloom and apparently as important, when it blooms.

    Thanks all

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    8 years ago

    Although no.3 does look like Tussilago, I'd be a little surprised to find Coltsfoot in a woodland setting. Here it grows in poor gritty soils in open areas such as roadsides or old building sites. Can you show us the stems and underside of the leaves? Coltsfoot would be grey and felted.

  • Atlamol
    8 years ago

    Yeah, coltsfoot habitat is the same here, in New Jersey anyhow - wet gravelly roadsides, floors of abandoned quarries, that kind of site.

  • peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
    8 years ago

    I can see the white backs on two leaves on the left plus one on the right.

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    8 years ago

    I have seen coltsfoot here in a range of sun exposures from full sun to full shade, and having grown up in OH, I know it's a fairly common escapee there.

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