
Poking around the leaf litter in spring, you discover some low rosettes of foliage with wrinkled leaves. Thistles have lots of sharp spines all along the edge of the leaf and at the tip of each lobe.Oriental poppies look bristly but don’t have spines.
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How to tell Oriental poppy and thistle apart? Both plants produce rosettes of bristly foliage and have a white underside to the leaf. Oriental poppies ( Papaver orientale) get pretty numerous, too, but don’t travel as far. This thistle is a favorite of goldfinches. It prefers the disturbed soil of a garden where it’s easy to reseed, but can also muscle its way into more established situations. Pasture thistle ( Cirsium discolor) is a native plant that’s quite aggressive. Which one to keep and which should you get rid of? If you’re weeding without gloves, you might notice these plants by touch before you see them - they’re both covered in fine hairs. So if you see flower buds forming, it’s Grecian windflower. Grecian windflower blooms earlier in spring than Virginia waterleaf.
They disappear by summer as the plant matures.
Look for the tell-tale white spots on the leaves early, and you’ll know it’s Virginia waterleaf. How to tell Grecian windflower and Virginia waterleaf apart The only problem is, it tends to take over and crowd out its neighbors. After all, Virginia waterleaf is native to North America. If you’re looking for plants that naturalize for your spring garden, you might choose either of these. But it could be some of those Grecian windflower bulbs you planted a few years ago, too. Virginia waterleaf likes moist soil in light shade. Grecian windflower or Virginia waterleaf?Ĭleaning up beds in spring, you might notice a grouping of one or both of these. In addition, mugwort smells like sage when crushed. Geum is solid green on the top and bottom and is also slightly fuzzy. If the lower side is white and fuzzy, it’s mugwort. Take a peek at the leaves of each plant. Mugwort is also more cold-hardy, growing easily in USDA zone 3 while geum tops out at zone 5. Is it the geum ( Geum hybrid) you planted last year or is it mugwort ( Artemisia vulgaris)? This weed does well in disturbed areas, like a freshly dug bed, though it can work its way into established ones, too.īoth plants do best with regular moisture and well-drained soil, though mugwort seems to tolerate clay or poorer soils better than geum. You’re working in the sunny area of your newly planted perennial border when you come across these two plants. Is that the new perennial you planted last year just peeking out of the ground or a pesky weed trying to get a foothold in your garden? Could your favorite flower be reseeding, or is it a weed? It can be hard to tell! Take a look at this photo guide, and next time you go out to your garden you’ll be able to identify which plants to keep and which ones to pull.ġ0 Invasive Plants to Avoid in Your Garden Can you identify a garden weed from a perennial?