Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with plant

How do I fix this overgrown plant that won't sit upright?

scottso17 — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:03:26 -0800

In my office, there's this crazy plant that become quite overgrown. There's a stem that I think should be sitting upright, but the leaves are so overgrown that it has become top-heavy and everything simply spills over the side. I tried staking the plant upright, but it fell over after a few days. Here's a photo of the plant. I'm thinking the plant may need a larger pot if I want to stake it upright, but also wondering if 1) it needs to be staked at all, 2) if it's a lost cause altogether, or 3) there's some other solution I hadn't considered.

Two plant growth oddities to ID (mold, fungus?) - Eastern Massachusetts

cocoagirl — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:15:24 -0800

I'm trying to identify two separate growths I'm unfamiliar with, just for curiosity's sake. The first is a tight, cauliflower-like dome found on the base of a cut tree trunk. The second formed tiny red "spears" on a weed leaf. Pics within. Growth #1 was dense and firm, like cauliflower, but from my rudimentary googling it's not Cauliflower Fungus (sparassis crispa), which looks much looser and ribbon-like.
Picture 1 shows a distant shot for scale (the two round white dots on the end of the bench)
Picture 2 is a close up

Growth #2 is a smattering of small red "spears" growing out of a leaf. The plant itself is about a foot high, growing street side. Not all leaves had the spears, just a couple.
Picture 1 shows the leaf for scale.
Picture 2 shows some of the red spears.
Picture 3 is a closeup of the spears
Picture 4 is a closeup of the underside of the spear locations

Is this plant the Brazilian Pepper tree, or something else entirely?

dahliachewswell — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:09:35 -0800

My friend in LA is wondering if she can eat this plant. I ruled out the Peruvian Pepper tree or molle (Schinus molle) because the leaves aren't right, but then came across the Brazilian Pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius). From the photo it looks like an OK candidate, but she says the berries do not smell peppery (which I would expect based on my experience with the Peruvian/molle pepper).

Another anecdote: It is apparently prominent in her area, in LA. The berries are "all over the ground"

What else could it be?

Can you identify this plant that's taking over my yard?

Mayor Curley — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:56:52 -0800

If my yard is France, this rhizome is Germany. It's between one and two feet tall when fully grown, and produces a single, smallish dark pink flower. Photo here. Yard is just outside Boston, MA. The leaves are creased down the center, and the plant doesn't have much of a smell when broken. When it first emerges it looks a lot like an iris plant, except that it's a couple shades lighter green and the leaves have that crease. It spreads very quickly through a dense web of roots and rhizomes and is so tenacious that it will grow through asphalt.

A few years ago we had bunches here and there and thought they were pretty enough to not mess with. Now they're everywhere and it's clear that I have to control them.

Let me know if there's more I can tell you. Thanks!

Aloe, aloe, aloe

zadcat — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:00:58 -0800

Put aloe plants outside, they turned brownish and don't look happy. Can I save them? Last fall a neighbour who'd been growing aloe plants outside told me to take a few because they don't survive our winters. I planted four in a large pot and they did OK all winter with a bit of sun through a window.

Weather just turned nice so I put the pot outside, and now the plants, which were a healthy lively green, have turned a kind of sickly khaki. The temperatures stayed well above freezing, there was sun but not scorching sun, the plants are succulents so I don't over-water them, but they get a few splashes of water weekly.

I've brought them inside again assuming they weren't ready for so much sun all of a sudden, but they don't look well, although they're presumably still alive. Do they need more water? Is there anything else I should do to help them recover?

My corn plant is pissed and I don't know what's wrong ...

kthxbi — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:15:32 -0800

What's wrong with my corn plant? The tips are all burnt and dead. I definitely do not over-water it ever since this happened - am I simply under-watering it? Here are some pictures I took. I cut all the dead ends off - should I not have?

Based on past questions around corn plants, I thought there were supposed to stay realllllly dry. But I'm worried mine are ... too dry. They sit in direct* sunlight.

* or about as direct as you can get in Seattle

Is this anthracnose on my Japanese maple?

reverend cuttle — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:18:48 -0800

What is eating my acer palmatum? Last fall, I bought a ratty bloodgood Japanese maple and planted it. This was to replace a Japanese maple sapling that succumbed to tan spots the previous year. Well, now the new sapling has leafed out and despite my attempts at hygiene cleaning leaf litter and applying a microbial fungicide during bud break, I now see tan spots on the leaves. Pics: hereIs this anthracnose? If not, what is it? What's the best treatment? Thanks green thumbs on the green!

What is this mystery plant growing in my kitchen?

patheral — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:59:01 -0800

So, I tried growing a pineapple from the store via this Pinterest link. Well the pineapple died, but something else started growing in its place, but I have no idea what it is. Can y'all identify it? If so, what should I do with it? Thanks!

What kind of tree is this?

superlibby — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:30:48 -0800

A friend wants to ID this tree that is in her yard in Austin, TX. Pictures of the tree in question. Thanks, AskMe!

Vine Plant Growing in the Field - Help ID

watercarrier — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 01:44:59 -0800

There is a small, low growing vine plant growing outside freely in the wild that appears to be some kind of bean. But is it? I tasted a few leaves, and they do taste like a bean. And I'm still breathing a few hours after, so I guess it's not toxic. Here are some photos I took - what are they? Thank you for your assistance.

Seeking suitable plants for an awkward flower bed, zone 8a.

reverend cuttle — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 13:45:53 -0800

My flower bed gets full sun in Summer, full shade in Winter, and plenty of dog pee. What can I plant? I have an awkward flower bed (approx 8'x12') up against the north side of our house (in a fenced backyard). It gets full sun in the summer, and is fully in the shade of the house when the sun is low during the winter months. The bed also is a favorite place for our dog to pee. We are in Central North Carolina, zone 8a. Soil is sandy clay, slightly acidic.

I would like to plant something that's cheery and relatively maintenance free here. Small trees, shrubs, and ground covers are all options.
-Evergreen is preferable to deciduous
-Bright foliage is preferable to dark foliage
-Flowering is preferable to non flowering
-Perennial is preferable to annual

Things I and my dog have killed in this bed:
azalea, rhododendron, coral bells, loropetalum, japanese holly

Thing that has thrived in this bed:
common japanese maple, acer palmatum (now too large for the bed, given the proximity to the house, and will be moved)

My only idea is to plant an Summertime bed of varying sizes of lantana. But Id like other suggestions, especially for other seasons. Thanks!

Can I keep a plant in my car?

mnemonic — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:07:31 -0800

I would like to keep a plant (alive) in my car, possibly in a cup holder. Is there a plant that could handle my car's interior environment, isn't too fussy about watering, and is not covered in needles? I live in southern California where it's nearly constantly sunny, so the inside of my car often gets very hot.

What kind of indoor plant do I want?

sweetkid — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:03:19 -0800

I have always been one of those "I have no green thumb" type people, but now I want an indoor plant for my NYC apartment. Specifics inside. I want plants (at least one) for my light filled (one wall of floor to ceiling windows) apartment in NYC. I've never been great with indoor plants or liked them much, but now I want one. I have pretty bad tree and grass pollen allergies, but my understanding is there are low allergen indoor trees, if trees are an option. I'm not super into flowers but could consider it.

I also have two super adorable very beloved cats who must not be made ill, dead, injured, annoyed, anxious, or otherwise bothered by the plant. This is very important.

I have overall a very minimal design aesthetic, but don't want the plant to look either too hippie-ish or too "officey."

We've lived together ten years and I don't even know his name.

roger ackroyd — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:10:32 -0800

What kind of plant is this? The coloring is similar to alternanthera dentata, but the leaf shape is wrong.

What is this plant?

bluelight — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 09:56:51 -0800

Plant Identification Help: Can you identify this plant growing all over the walls of this building? This is in North Berkeley, CA

http://www.flickr.com/photos/landscapevoice/8193931614/in/set-72157632034409846

http://www.flickr.com/photos/landscapevoice/8193928506/in/set-72157632034409846

http://www.flickr.com/photos/landscapevoice/8193935192/in/set-72157632034409846

Fungus on tomato leaf: cause or effect?

Hairy Lobster — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:58:05 -0800

Tomato Disease Filter: what is this fungus looking stuff on my tomato plants? Can I save the plants or does this call for scorched earth tactics in order to protect the rest of the garden? Whatever this is appears to be killing my plants and it progresses as follows:

1) leaves turn dead/brown
2) whitish fuzzy stuff appears that resembles insect cocoon material
3) reddish dots appear in the middle of areas covered with the whitish fuzz

The disease affects the plants from the top down. If a vine starts near the ground, climbs up and then bends back down only the upper part of the vine will be affected. The beginning and end of the vine near the ground are alive and green.

I imagine the white stuff is some sort of fungus and the red dots are its fruiting bodies but I haven't managed to match it up to anything online. Based on the progression I'm not entirely sure if the fungus is the cause or just an opportunist taking advantage of the dead leaves.

Please hope me by helping me figure out what the problem/disease is and if/how the plants can be saved.

Please help me save my gardenia

jefficator — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:56:56 -0800

How can I make sure my potted Gardenia survives the Denver winter? My gardenia thrived all summer on the balcony of my apartment in full southern-exposure sun. But now we have had the first freezes, so I have brought it inside to keep warm. It is zoned for seven and won't make it through a hard freeze outside.

The only southern window in my apartment is tiny, so the gardenia gets only indirect light during the day. Also, the apartment is of course very dry with the heat on. The leaves are dropping like crazy.

I've been afraid that moving the plant in and out depending on the weather would be traumatic. But I'm also afraid leaving it indoors isn't optimal.

Is there any way to make this gardenia survive the winter?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Plant ID please!

JujuB — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:10:34 -0800

Identify 2 silk plants please I would like to replace these plants with live ones. But, I don't know their names!

Plant 1 Plant 2

What the heck is this plant bubble thingy?

ErWenn — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 11:03:13 -0800

What the heck is this plant bubble thingy? It's sitting in a vase at a restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana next to some little purple flowers (probably a different plant). It's pale green and purple with little hairs on it. It's about the size of a racquetball. Here's a picture: link

Is it zombie-Thyme?

Rallon — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:08:17 -0800

What is the mystery plant growing in what used to be my (indoor, potted) thyme? (Pics inside) Earlier this year I bought a little thyme plant to keep inside on my windowsill. The thyme did terribly, and almost all of it died pretty quickly and just sat there as a bunch of dried-out stalks. A few bits of it were still alive, though, so I kept watering - likely long after even those holdouts gave up the ghost.

Imagine my surprise when we found a bunch of tiny plants sprouting under the dead thyme plant! The little plants sprouted and grew quite quickly, and started to climb the dead thyme, which I finally pulled out of the pot a few days ago as there was starting to be a big tangle in the pot. We've put some little wooden "stakes" in the pot and the mystery plant doesn't seem to be climbing them all by itself, though.

So far I don't see any sign of flowers or blossoms, and the leaves don't smell like anything when I rub them between my fingers. So what is this mystery plant?

Pictures

[Name-that-plant-filter] What is this potted plant/tree?

tabubilgirl — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:15:07 -0800

[Name-that-plant-filter] What is this potted plant/tree? I need to identify a potted plant (potted tree?) belonging to a friend. It is tall - six feet, at least - with long, straight pale brown stems, and large round leaves, with a high-sheen finish.
The plant in question was bought in Santiago, Chile a year and a half ago at Sodimac (a Home Depot sort of place.) The owner adores it and would love a second one, but she's never seen it since and has no idea what sort of name it has.
If anyone has any idea what the South American name would be (as the nurseries here often use different names - and even different Latin appellations for plants) that would be fantastic.

Plant ID

aparrish — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 12:19:56 -0800

Horticurious: Please help me identify this plant that was growing among the catnip. Image here. The surface of the plant was kind of, uh, fuzzy, and handling it left an oily residue on my fingers.

This guy sprouted along with some catnip seeds that I planted in a small planter on the fire escape a few months ago. I trashed it once it became evident that it was NOT catnip, but I'm curious about what kind of plant I inadvertently nurtured in the intervening few weeks.

I'm in Brooklyn, NY, USA. I can't find anything resembling this plant on my go-to list of NYC weeds.

What am I?

parapluie — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:39:17 -0800

I'm wondering what sort of plant this is. Anyone know?

What plant is this? (KY)

wanderingmind — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 17:02:00 -0800

What plant is this? Asking on behalf of a friend - none of us are botanists and we're all baffled. This picture was taken in Kentucky; it has a green stalk, large star-shaped leaves, and grew this tall over the course of a single summer. It doesn't resemble any other flora around. Any ideas, MeFites?

Will this plant kill my toddler?

rabbitrabbit — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 12:52:01 -0800

Is this plant toxic? Need help identifying a plant we noticed on our property a few weeks ago. Our 20-month-old has learned to help himself to thimble berries and blackberries in this area, so I need to know if I should pull this to prevent these berries from being accidentally ingested.

Location: Scappoose, Oregon (near Portland).

Video because I can't figure out how to link from the Flickr app. Sorry about the screaming toddler in the background,

Also, on my phone so I can't link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfFn0SpjIHU

Thanks for looking!