Let's play ID the plant!
May 4, 2015 12:03 PM Subscribe
I'm a gardening dummy and bought and potted an herb without really confirming what it is. I originally thought it was thyme but it's obviously not thyme.
Here is a photograph of said plant.
1. What is this plant?
2. Is it safe if my cat nibbles it?
3. Any advice on how to avoid killing it?
Response by poster: My nose is mostly broken because of the record pollen here, but I think it smells like thyme + lavender. Is it lavender? I thought those guys had flowers. I am bad at this.
posted by thirdletter at 12:06 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by thirdletter at 12:06 PM on May 4, 2015
Lavender is actually lavender (lavender colored, I mean). Looks to me like rosemary.
posted by holborne at 12:09 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by holborne at 12:09 PM on May 4, 2015
Looks like lavender to me. It could be flush new growth on a small rosemary plant too, I guess, but I'd put money on lavender.
posted by lydhre at 12:14 PM on May 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by lydhre at 12:14 PM on May 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Lavender! Baby lavender! Rosemary doesn't have leaves that flat. The flowers will come later.
posted by SeedStitch at 12:14 PM on May 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by SeedStitch at 12:14 PM on May 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: The stems and leaves are soft, unlike any rosemary I've seen, if that helps...?
posted by thirdletter at 12:15 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by thirdletter at 12:15 PM on May 4, 2015
If the leaves feel quite leathery and thick for their size, I would say rosemary. The only other one I thought it might be (a long shot) is tarragon but that tends to have thinner leaves and a very distinctive smell.
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 12:15 PM on May 4, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 12:15 PM on May 4, 2015 [4 favorites]
My money is 100% on lavender as well. Rosemary has a distinctive piney scent and thicker leaves.
Lavender is safe for cats "in moderation": http://pets.thenest.com/lavender-poisonous-cats-8799.html
posted by vers at 12:18 PM on May 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Lavender is safe for cats "in moderation": http://pets.thenest.com/lavender-poisonous-cats-8799.html
posted by vers at 12:18 PM on May 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Neither rosemary nor lavender seem to be particularly dangerous for cats.
As for care, most herbs like plenty of sun. Stick it in a sunny spot and enjoy!
posted by jquinby at 12:19 PM on May 4, 2015
As for care, most herbs like plenty of sun. Stick it in a sunny spot and enjoy!
posted by jquinby at 12:19 PM on May 4, 2015
Lavender... the flowers will come in summer :)
posted by The otter lady at 12:19 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by The otter lady at 12:19 PM on May 4, 2015
Lavender (Assuming this is lavender, and I'm pretty sure it's lavender) likes sandy to rocky soil that is very well draining. It does not like to sit in moisture. If you treated it like a desert plant, you would not be far off. It can take a little shade, but prefers full sun. Don't over-water, and you should have great luck with it. Lavender is a tough plant!
posted by Gilbert at 12:27 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by Gilbert at 12:27 PM on May 4, 2015
Looks like lavender based on what I've grown in our garden. Some varieties don't turn purple until they flower. Some don't look purple, at all.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 12:32 PM on May 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by a lungful of dragon at 12:32 PM on May 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
It looks like tarragon to me. It looks awfully green and curly to be definitely lavender.
posted by janell at 12:32 PM on May 4, 2015 [12 favorites]
posted by janell at 12:32 PM on May 4, 2015 [12 favorites]
Looks like tarragon to me.
posted by lakersfan1222 at 12:48 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by lakersfan1222 at 12:48 PM on May 4, 2015
That be tarragon. Lavender leaves aren't that smooth. Lavender and tarragon smell nothing like each other, so the definitive answer can be found with the sniff test. Tarragon smells kind of anise-y, and lavender smells like your grandmother's living room.
posted by mudpuppie at 12:56 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by mudpuppie at 12:56 PM on May 4, 2015
It's either tarragon or lavender, my personal money is on lavender, but the care for both is about the same so you are in luck whichever it is.
They like lots of sun and like to dry out between waterings. Stick your finger all the way down in the soil and if it is wet at the bottom, don't water yet.
Depending on where you live and if it freezes hard, you might want to bring it in for the winter if you are keeping it in the container, or at least mulch it if you are keeping it outdoors. My container lavender didn't bounce back after a cold NYC winter outside.
posted by rmless at 1:10 PM on May 4, 2015
They like lots of sun and like to dry out between waterings. Stick your finger all the way down in the soil and if it is wet at the bottom, don't water yet.
Depending on where you live and if it freezes hard, you might want to bring it in for the winter if you are keeping it in the container, or at least mulch it if you are keeping it outdoors. My container lavender didn't bounce back after a cold NYC winter outside.
posted by rmless at 1:10 PM on May 4, 2015
If you chop some up and cook it with chicken and the result is a level of deliciousness that you scarcely dared dream of, then it is tarragon.
(I mean, also it looks like tarragon, but still.)
posted by a fiendish thingy at 1:15 PM on May 4, 2015 [4 favorites]
(I mean, also it looks like tarragon, but still.)
posted by a fiendish thingy at 1:15 PM on May 4, 2015 [4 favorites]
I'm 95 percent certain that's lavender. There are many different kinds of lavender with varying degrees of leaf size and smoothness. It looks healthy (yay!). It'll need bright direct sunlight. Most herbs love to be watered but they want well drained soil. In other words they want to keep dry feet. So don't over water this one. Some lavender types need at least 12 inches of soil to grow in. Can't tell what type you have but you might just bear that in mind anyway. Im afraid I also don't know if your cat can safely chew on it. Might want to keep the cat away from the plant just in cases.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 1:18 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by WalkerWestridge at 1:18 PM on May 4, 2015
I'll nth lavender as well.
Fine for your cat, as far as I know.
posted by detritivore at 1:41 PM on May 4, 2015
Fine for your cat, as far as I know.
posted by detritivore at 1:41 PM on May 4, 2015
Rosemary and tarragon were my initial thoughts.
If the leaves are tough, somewhat waxy, and have a piney smell, then it's rosemary (but you say that's not it, so...)
If it has a licoricey flavor, then it's tarragon.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 1:48 PM on May 4, 2015
If the leaves are tough, somewhat waxy, and have a piney smell, then it's rosemary (but you say that's not it, so...)
If it has a licoricey flavor, then it's tarragon.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 1:48 PM on May 4, 2015
Nthing lavender. I've raised lavender from really small starts and that's exactly how it looks when it's young. Give it a bigger pot and lots of sun and it will take off like nobody's business! :)
posted by Pearl928 at 1:48 PM on May 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Pearl928 at 1:48 PM on May 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
A link to descriptions of various kinds of lavender: http://www.gardenguides.com/85383-identify-lavender-plants.html
posted by notatron at 2:03 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by notatron at 2:03 PM on May 4, 2015
I'm sure it's tarragon. Tarragon has an aniseed flavour. Nice with chicken.
posted by wilful at 5:19 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by wilful at 5:19 PM on May 4, 2015
This is absolutely, one hundred percent lavender. It wants lots of sun and moderate amounts of water--lavender does nicely in hot, dry-ish climates so act accordingly.
Some lavenders have a slightly greyish cast but some are a more pure green like yours--I bet this is the kind that will have sort of darkish purple blossoms that look like bumblebees, rather than the longer cone shaped blossoms associated with Provence lavender.
Tarragon leaves have a similar shape but are paper thin, and grow in a somewhat different configuration around the stem, and usually somewhat darker green.
Rosemary leaves are more pine-needle like, not so flat.
All of them are cat-safe anyway.
posted by padraigin at 5:59 PM on May 4, 2015
Some lavenders have a slightly greyish cast but some are a more pure green like yours--I bet this is the kind that will have sort of darkish purple blossoms that look like bumblebees, rather than the longer cone shaped blossoms associated with Provence lavender.
Tarragon leaves have a similar shape but are paper thin, and grow in a somewhat different configuration around the stem, and usually somewhat darker green.
Rosemary leaves are more pine-needle like, not so flat.
All of them are cat-safe anyway.
posted by padraigin at 5:59 PM on May 4, 2015
That is absolutely, positively, definitely, without a shadow of a hint of a question of a soupçon of a doubt, lavender.
I have tarragon, rosemary, lavender, and various other herbs in my herb garden. I cook with them so I have to know what they are by sight. This is not rosemary or tarragon or any other herb. This is lavender.
It likes full sun and not too much water. Let the soil dry out a little between waterings if you're going to continue keeping it in a pot. Mine does fine outside all year round in zone 5 (it dies back in fall and comes back in the spring) with no added irrigation.
posted by caryatid at 6:16 PM on May 4, 2015
I have tarragon, rosemary, lavender, and various other herbs in my herb garden. I cook with them so I have to know what they are by sight. This is not rosemary or tarragon or any other herb. This is lavender.
It likes full sun and not too much water. Let the soil dry out a little between waterings if you're going to continue keeping it in a pot. Mine does fine outside all year round in zone 5 (it dies back in fall and comes back in the spring) with no added irrigation.
posted by caryatid at 6:16 PM on May 4, 2015
It's lavender. The leaves aren't compact or green enough to be rosemary. The leaves are too thick to be tarragon. Very clearly lavender.
posted by yellowcandy at 9:14 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by yellowcandy at 9:14 PM on May 4, 2015
It looks like Tarragon to me, squeeze it, if it smells like old men's hair tonic, it is lavender. I am pretty sure it is tarragon. Either way your cats are safe.
posted by Oyéah at 9:35 PM on May 4, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 9:35 PM on May 4, 2015
The leaves are too thick to be tarragon.
There's french and there's russian tarragon. French tarragon has finer leaves. Russian tarragon, generally considered not quite as good but still fine, has thicker leaves.
posted by wilful at 10:12 PM on May 4, 2015
There's french and there's russian tarragon. French tarragon has finer leaves. Russian tarragon, generally considered not quite as good but still fine, has thicker leaves.
posted by wilful at 10:12 PM on May 4, 2015
Even Russian tarragon leaves are glossy, not rough and fuzzy like the ones in the photo.
posted by caryatid at 11:23 PM on May 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by caryatid at 11:23 PM on May 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think it is lavender too. If you really can't smell it, try this - pinch a couple leaves and *really* squeeze them between your fingers. Does it feel slightly tacky? If it does, it's lavender. If it doesn't, likely tarragon.
posted by ersatzkat at 4:24 AM on May 5, 2015
posted by ersatzkat at 4:24 AM on May 5, 2015
+1 for team lavender. The leaves are too thick for tarragon, and it's definitely not rosemary. Flowers will come later.
posted by thejanna at 11:15 AM on May 5, 2015
posted by thejanna at 11:15 AM on May 5, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 12:05 PM on May 4, 2015