Can someone please help me identify a weed?

[Retired Engineer Bob]

We’ve neglected a small raised bed garden, planning on clearing it out. I’m a little concerned it could be poisonous. The things are about 6 feet tall.

[Jim__]

1. I can't. But if you don't get an answer here ...

... you might try the Gardening Group

[Jerry2144]

2. I am not sure

But try an app called PlantSnap. It lets you take a photo then does a search to look for matching plants. Usually pretty accurate with mature plants, but sometimes you need to read about the possible matches

[marybourg]

3. It's good commonsense to wear long sleeves, garden gloves

and possibly a mask when clearing out copious amounts of bushy matter, It doesn’t look like poison sumac, if that’s what you were thinking, but many plants are irritating, allergenic or even toxic, so caution is advisable when contact is unavoidable.

[Eyeball_Kid]

4. I'm not a botanist. But this looks like

a common weed that I’ve pulled out of my garden for years. Were I having the same problem, I’d just yank them out and plant something I could eat.

[WHITT]

5. Oh, THAT Kind Of Weed

I'm out.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

23. LOL

I should be so lucky to just have some mj magically appear.

[KentuckyWoman]

6. It isn't Hogweed

That's the only one that gets that tall that might mess you up. The rest of the tall weeds are just a nuisance.

This covers the USA.

https://www.greenbelly.co/pages/poisonous-plants-identification-guide

Whichever bugs are hiding in there will chomp you quicker than the plant itself.
long shirt, pants tucked into socks, gloves, hat and a good shower after.... the basic rule for all of it ...

[flying_wahini]

7. I think it is pokeweed. Which if it is is not toxic.

Spreads like a weed.

[Mariana]

14. Pokeweed has very different flowers - and it IS toxic.

All parts of common pokeweed are toxic to humans, pets and livestock.

https://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/single_weed.php?id=112

[H2O Man]

15. Pokeweed is toxic

to humans, dogs, and livestock. But that is if consumed, not pulled out while weeding.

[CommonHumanity]

30. Not necessarily toxic to livestock

For other goat owners or anyone else wondering about goats and pokeweed:

If you own goats you are familiar with the fact that most plants considered toxic to livestock have not been tested on goats. In fact, plants that are toxic to cattle, pigs, etc. may not necessarily be toxic to goats.

I am not suggesting that anyone randomly feed their goats plants that appear on toxic plant lists. Just saying my goats eat pokeweed and love it. I can always tell when they have eaten a good bit of it because the berries stain the fur around their lips. It seems to like to grow with kudzu among other things and my goats have a great time with it. As with goats and any plant, much depends on how much of a particular plant they eat in relation to whatever else they are eating. Just sayin' pokeweed is just fine for my goats in NC.

I'm sure someone will provide further detail on this, but pokeweed was also eaten by people in many southern states. Maybe still is. Has to be boiled/prepared till the cows come home, but again, just sayin' pokeweed is not a clear cut case o toxic to all animals in all modes of preparation. That said, don't go out, pull some up and chow down on it.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

35. I thought people ate pokeweed.

You know, "Polk Salad Annie."

Yes, that is how it is spelled in the song.

[Mariana]

36. They do, but only the young shoots and leaves in the spring.

This time of year, it's bad news to eat any part of the plant.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

37. NOW they tell me. Let me get off the computer and call 9-1-1. NT

[Mariana]

38. Even then, it's dangerous to eat it raw.

It's cooked in several changes of water to detoxify it.

[kentuck]

43. Poke is poisonous.

It has the dark purple berries and a reddish stalk. People eat it for medicinal purposes.

It is best when picked very young, in early spring. Boil the shoots. Then fry them in some bacon grease and scramble some eggs in them. They are quite tasty with pinto beans.

The old wives tale is that if you eat it once a year, it builds up the antibodies in your body and prevents you from getting sick.

[Rorey]

8. I feel like I've seen that around my part of the country too

I'm in Colorado.

I'm seeing a lot of different weeds this year that I haven't noticed before, and sadly I'm finding sticker weeds (goat heads?) in part of my yard. They're my most hated weeds. When I had a dog I used to carry pruning sheers with me when I walked him and I'd cut those horrid things off all the time. Parks, the edges of people's yards - didn't matter where. I did my own eradicating.

[Mariana]

9. It looks like a wild amaranth to me. nt.

[CentralMass]

32. I thought so too. Related to quinoa I believe.

[jmbar2]

10. Get some Tecnu, or equivalent, then pull all you want

Tecnu is miraculous for preventing poison plant reactions. You just wash thoroughly after exposure, before touching anything else. I used to get poison ivy all over me when gardening. Now, I can just wash it away.

[jcgoldie]

11. Looks like pigweed

Not poisonous and even edible.

Edit: Pigweed is Amaranthus as someone stated above.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

18. Yeah, I googled pigweed

It looks like a match.

[CottonBear]

12. It might be pokeweed. Here's a link to a botanical description:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_americana

[CommonHumanity]

33. Not poke weed

Absolutely not pokeweed unless there is a variant that looks extremely different than the pokeweed I see every EVERY day. Don't mean to be didactic, but it is not pokeweed.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

13. At first I thought it could be stinging nettle

But the leaves don’t look right.

[Mariana]

16. I think it's an amaranth. Some of them get that tall. nt.

[msdogi]

17. Amaranth sp.

Good app for this is PlantNet, used your pic and it looks like a match

[mopinko]

19. most def amaranth. most def not poke.

not rly close.

[Chautauquas]

20. That's an app called Picture This that does a good job

of identifying plants. I use it when my wife and I go for walks.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

21. Thanks everyone

Good for DU, appreciate the help.

Now to get off my ass and remove these things.

[jcgoldie]

22. get some goats to do the work and have a beer

they love those.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

24. Googled "rent a goat"

Turns out Tractor Supply might be able to help.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/cms/life-out-here/the-barn/animal-medication-for-goats/goats-for-hire

Can a goat be instructed to just go after this weed? If they get into the flower gardens my husband will be PO’d.

[jcgoldie]

26. unfortunately no!

They are vegetative assassins they will wipe out fruit trees grapevines flowers vegetables without a hint of conscience.

[kentuck]

25. I remember calling them horseweeds...

They would feed them to the horses. They grew abundantly in KY and VA.

[berniesandersmittens]

28. Did you plant your seeds from China?

[Kali]

29. looks like amaranth, or pig weed.

at least that is what we call our version out west. it is edible as greens (raw or cooked) when young. the seeds are edible too, and can even be popped (though they are so tiny compared even to heirloom popcorn)

[YoshidaYui]

31. Nope! That is not cannabis!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

34. Where do you live? Have you tried your local agricultural extension service?

Even if you're in The Big City, you should be able to find someone in your political subdivision who fits that description.

Sorry for the non-answer answer, but starting locally can often get an answer answer quickly.

Best wishes.

[rampartc]

39. that is mullein

https://www.ediblewildfood.com/mullein.aspx

[Ms. Toad]

41. I don't think so.

Mullein has velvety leaves. (Mullein doesn't even come up as an option in my PlantNet app

[yonder]

40. Amaranth. Big ones

[Meowmee]

42. https://identify.plantnet.org/ Amaranthus Retroflexus L / Red Root/ Thorny Amaranth

I searched it here and it comes up as Amaranthus Retroflexus L or another variety… wikipedia says it can be eaten as a veggie.


https://identify.plantnet.org/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranthus_retroflexus

[kentuck]

44. Is this it?