# A few mysteries in my yard



## dragonjaze (Sep 8, 2010)

Location: Chicago suburbs, my backyard 

*First unknown:*








Close up of leaf. Leaves feel soft and rubbery and just a little bit fuzzy:








Another of the same kind:









*Second unknown:* (sorry, these are a bit blurry)









also, could this possibly be a spinach sprout? It doesn't look like any spinach seedling picture I've found, but I don't think it could be anything else.









Thanks for any ideas!:lonergr:


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

The second unknown looks like possibly hosta. The seedling does not look like spinach IMO, maybe sunflower?

The first looks like it might be burdock:
http://goodoakllc.com/info/weeds/burdock.pdf


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

First one looks like wild rhubarb to me. Not eatable and will poison a hog.


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## CarolynRenee (Jan 30, 2008)

Burdock is the first ones, hosta on the second one.

Looks exactly what would come up in my veggie garden when we lived in Oakbrook! Well, the burdock at least, the hostas we had along the walkway.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Yep, first one is burdock.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

The first 3 pictures look like Rumex obtusifolius (broadleaf dock) except that they have red stems. The red stems remind me of poke salet.

If I were you, I would take a plant to your local ag agent's lab for ID.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Not pokeweed
http://www.google.com/search?q=poke...XFsW4tgfL_eG0BQ&ved=0CBkQsAQ&biw=1259&bih=599
Pokeweed (aka poke salat/poke salad) does not have white under the leaves.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Nope, just checked our poke. No white under leaves .. 

Googled "burdock" and apparently you have some nutritious greens there dragonjaze.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

What did the second unknown turn out to be?

I was thinking lily of the valley, and would like to know...


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

The second could be hosta, but I'm thinking lily of the valley too, hosta shoots are usually clumped closer together...you'll know in a couple of days 

First is burdock for sure, I can't help you with the seedling though, too soon


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I'm starting to get confused between what is dock and what is burdock. Does anyone understand the subtleties between these?


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

motdaugrnds said:


> I'm starting to get confused between what is dock and what is burdock. Does anyone understand the subtleties between these?


 Burdock has fuzzy leaves and dock doesn't, it also grows much larger. 

Dock seeds are small and hardish while burdock makes those nasty things that tangle up manes and tails, we always called them sticky bobs growing up and my brother and I would have sticky bob fights sticking them to each other's clothes much to our mother's delight


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

I'd say that the second one is Lily of the Valley.


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## NickieL (Jun 15, 2007)

first id def. burdock!

2nd I was thinking lily of the vally (though if burdock is up and out so should the lily of the vally, even in the shadiest of places so I'm going more with hosta though something seems a bit diffrent then with hosta, hard to say. Could even be Jack-in-the-pulpit.

3rd is NOT spinach as spinach has thin narrow seed leaves...pretty impossible to tell what it could be at this point.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

1st burdock - I have so much of this that if I could market the stuff I would be RICH. They used to use the roots to make a drink - dandelion and burdock 

2nd I haven't a clue

3rd I would hazard a guess at a brassica seedling of some description - anything form a cabbage to a radish


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Yep, number 1 is Burdock, I harvested some the other day. > Marc


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## dragonjaze (Sep 8, 2010)

The first mystery plant got uprooted and disposed of, just in case it was burdock. I have a fuzzy Pomeranian (see avatar picture) and his coat and sticky seeds just do NOT go together.

The second one turned out to be lily in the valley. Oh, they smell SO sweet! I have a bunch of them sitting in a bud vase on my desk right now. delicious!

As to the third..no, definitely not spinach, and now I know what a spinach seedling looks like. It's some sort of weed that came in with the soil I got delivered. I'm tempted to let a few of the weeds grow, just to see what they are 

Thanks for the help!


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

I'm glad those were Lily of the Valley. I love them too! I love to pick the flowers and put them in a little vase with violets.


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## Minimomma (Jan 5, 2008)

I believe that lily of the valley is toxic too.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

A funny thing I have noticed over the years with weeds and plants.

"Most" veg and flower seedlings come up bent with their heads on their knees so to speak, and unfurl themselves once they break the surface of the soil.

Weed seedlings on the other hand tend to come straight up, nose first and shoot for the sky.

Obviously some things like bulbs and tubers defy this rule 

I can't guarantee it as a method but, for annuals, it always works for me


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thank you Tiempo. I will watch for seed heads on these. At the moment, I still say the first unknown are pics of "Dock"; not Burdock as our agricultural lab identified it for us and we have been eating the leaves of that plant all spring. I am watching a couple of these to find out what type of flower heads they put out. This ought to help me understand better.

We have some "huge" leaves (heart-shaped) on a couple of plants near an old shack we are cleaning up. We are thinking this is Burdock; but are waiting for them to flower as well for varification.

Interesting find Hoggie. I'll need to stay alert to discover this on our place.


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## dragonjaze (Sep 8, 2010)

Update on #3, the unknown seedling. Still unknown to me, but hopefully someone will know? I let a few of them grow, and now they are these:


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

That looks like giant ragweed to me.


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

mammabooh; you beat me to it! Are the plants "hairy"??

Now, burdock is fuzzy and dock is not..positive ID will be the seed spike, in the second year..burdock has the ball burs-dock has a spray of small winged heart shaped seeds(which can be de-winged to leave a seed the size and shape of a strawberry seed and ground to add to flour). Both dock and burdock are edible so you are doing yourself no harm eating either!


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Bee I know the roots are edible; but are the "leaves" of Burdock edible too?


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

..young leaves can be added to salads or cooked in several changes of water. Once the inedible rind is removed,first year roots can be boiled for 30 minutes in several changes of water and served with butter. Peterson's Eastern edition of Edible Wild Plants Field Guides.


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