Mystery plants in SoCal

6 years ago

Hello all! Here are some recent mysteries that popped up around our back, that I would love to get some of you plant detectives to help

me identify!

We are in Southern California, zone 10a.

Thank you so much!!!

1. this purple flower popped up in a bed:

2. This came up out of nowhere in hard clay soil:

This is popping up a lot amongst a lot of invasive non native grasses on a hillside:

but this is kind of on its own:

Thank you all and good luck detecting!!

Featured Answer

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

6 years ago

if larkspur... it reseeds nicely.. imo ... so either stake it back over the bed to seeds fall there.. or harvest the seeds and put them back over there ...

ken

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Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
i call the first the annual larkspur

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=larkspur+annual&t=ffsb&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images
osirises thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
6 years ago
The third could be a Gnaphalium?
osirises thanked peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
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User
6 years ago
And the second is two different trees? An elm and a cherry?
osirises thanked User
vp_78
6 years ago
Try taking a pic using iNaturalist. It may give you some suggestions....
osirises thanked vp_78
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
6 years ago
#2 & #3 look like they're the same plants - reminding me of something in the elm family too.

#4 looks like what I know as cudweed, a.k.a. rabbit tobacco - basically a weed
osirises thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
osirises
Original Author
6 years ago
The 2nd and 3rd photos are of the same plant. The 4th photo I think probably is California Cudweed - a host plant to native lady butterflies so I won’t yoink it out! :). The 5th I’m wondering if is an offspring of some plant that I planted - maybe monkey flower?
nonmember_gw
6 years ago
2nd and third probably Chinese elm. 4th photo could be Pseudognaphalium luteo-album, weedy cudweed, or Centaurea melitensis, tocalote.
osirises thanked nonmember_gw
bengz6westmd
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
IMO 2nd & 3rd are Siberian elm, a noxious weed-tree.
osirises thanked bengz6westmd
Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
6 years ago
I don't suppose that #5 could be a milkweed? And how nice to have pop-up larkspur - just heavenly!
osirises thanked Need2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)