# Do you recognize this plant?



## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

For the life of me I don't know what these plants are. I've searched internet images but can't ID it. I thought it looked like some kind of bean plant but couldn't find bean plants that have large oval shaped first leaves matching these. They are in one of the raised flowerbeds at the front entrance at a senior's complex where I do gardening. Apparently last year one of the residents threw a paper bag full of mixed seeds into the raised bed but she said the bag of seeds was given to her by somebody else and she doesn't have a clue what any of the seeds were. 

When these plants first came up the first 2 leaves on them were oval shaped, large-ish (about 2 inches across) and the rest of the new leaves are all very tender, easily bruised heart shaped. The leaves are smooth on both sides, no hairs or fuzz on them and none have flowered yet. They now all stand about 8 inches tall on juicy but strong, robust stems. I had to weed out a bunch of them because they were crowding out many other ornamental flowering plants but I left a few in there for the time being. The ones I weeded out didn't have identifiable seed casings attached to them at the roots. I know they are not wild bindweed vines because there's plenty of that around too and they don't look anything alike.

Any ideas?


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

looks like poke to me.


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

I found some pictures of poke but the leaves are different, they aren't heart shaped, they're spear-head shaped. 

Poke:


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Marvel of Peru, aka Four O'clock, maybe.


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

Danaus29 said:


> Marvel of Peru, aka Four O'clock, maybe.


 
By gosh, thank you very much, I think you're spot on. I did images searches for Marvel of Peru and found several pictures of seedlings with sets of oval first leaves that look exactly the same, as do all the later growing heart shaped leaves.

If it is Marvel of Peru I will now be kicking myself in the butt for weeding out all the other ones instead of transplanting them to a different location. Grrr. :grit: Oh well, live and learn.

This species is a first time plant for me as it doesn't ordinarily grow well outdoors in this climate and I think these ones only sprouted because they're in a covered and protected area at the front entrance. So now I need to research the care and growing conditions for them.

Thanks again. :thumb:


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I've pulled them too, thinking they were weeds. Now I often let unknown plants grow and flower just so I can get an id.


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

Danaus29 said:


> I've pulled them too, thinking they were weeds. *Now I often let unknown plants grow and flower just so I can get an id*.


I usually do too, that's why I left a few in the flower bed to try to ID later and I'm glad now I did. Honestly I thought they were beans and almost weeded all of them out of there. There are still 7 of these plants left growing in there and it looks like a couple more coming up so it's all good. If they start to get too big for that bed I'll take them up and transplant them to another sunny but sheltered area with more growing space.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

Pokeweed. 
Recently found out some people eat this stuff...But only very young plants. It's poisonous later on, especially when berries form.
I rip them all out.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

I had thousands of the coming up at my home in Ga.

*Four O'Clock*

This flower is sometimes called "marvel of Peru" (Mirabilis jalapa). It attracts Japanese beetles, who love to eat the poisonous foliage. Four O'Clocks should be used for population control. They are so-named because their flowers open at about 4 p.m. every day and remain open all night, closing shortly after dawn. A tender, bushy perennial, four o'clocks are grown as annuals in the North. The plants are prolific reseeders, and they can become invasive in warm climates.


Read more: Recommended Plants to Prevent Japanese Beetles | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/94931-recommended-plants-prevent-japanese-beetles.html#ixzz35e3yKSEE


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Yep.
4 O'clock!


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

Thank you for the confirmation. I'm excited now to see how these will turn out. After several decades of gardening I've never seen them growing anywhere in this region before this so this will be an adventure for me.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Don't Four O'clocks have a potato like tuber?


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

vicker said:


> Don't Four O'clocks have a potato like tuber?


 Yes, they do.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Don't laugh (well, you can if you like) but when I saw the photo I thought "That's a Prostitute"! 

Years ago I moved into a house where these were abundant. I asked the previous owner what they were and she called them Prostitues, the reason being they only came out at night.

I believe they can be very invasive if grown in the right place and they seed prolificaly. They do have a tuberous root system that can become enormous. Mine had been planted next to to a concrete rain water tank and the roots went at least 3ft under the tank. 

Oddly, I have never seen them since and I wish I had kept a few seeds to plant in pots.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Acer Rubrum (Nov 23, 2011)

They have a heavenly scent.


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