Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - July 08, 2013
From: Denton, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Identification, Problem Plants
Title: Identification of a plant with winged stems in Texas
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Dear Mr. Smarty Pants, We live in Denton Texas & our backyard is being taken over by a very woody type weed or bush. The most distinguishing characteristic is that long thin vertical ridges or fins grow along the branches. This plant spreads like wildfire & completely took over one side of our yard & I'm afraid we will have no yard left soon. It doesn't pull out of the ground like most weeks, has no seeds or berries, just skinny flat leaves & grows to about 3 feet tall. Thx! We want to figure out how to prevent it from being in our yard at all.ANSWER:
This sounds like Rhus copallinum (Winged sumac). They have winged stems, grow quickly and often form colonies from a single plant with a tap root that has rhizomes that produce sucker plants, making a clone of plants. Here are more photos and information from Illinois Wildflowers and University of Florida Lee County Extension.
The fact that your plants may be all connected is going to make them a bit more difficult to eradicate. To be rid of them you will need to dig them up. To help you get rid of them, you can carefully treat the broken or cut remaining roots with herbicide by painting the surface of the cut using a small foam paint brush. If you do use herbicide, be sure you read and follow the safety instructions on the label and be careful not get any of the herbicide on plants you want to keep.
For another possibility, there is an Asian plant, Euonymus alatus (winged burning bush), that is considered invasive over much of eastern North America. The Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States shows that it has been reported in southern Oklahoma, but not in Texas.
And here are photos of other plants with winged stems from the Native & Naturalized Native Plants of the Carolinas & Georgia website.
By the way, it's Smarty Plants (not Pants)!
From the Image Gallery
More Plant Identification Questions
Identity of plant with thorns in Maryland
August 27, 2013 - I live in Maryland and was walking in the woods one day when I accidentally stumbled in to a thorn bush. I don't remember what color the thorns where or very much about the plant in general but I do ...
view the full question and answer
Identity of large, sunflower-like plant
November 13, 2011 - We are trying to figure out the identity of a large, sunflower-like plant. It is a perennial that sends out approximately 10-12 stalks about 10 feet high. It then starts to bloom with small sunflowe...
view the full question and answer
Identification of plant, possibly giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)
January 30, 2008 - I am trying to identify a weed that was prevalant where I grew up in North Central Texas. It grows in low spots and along creeks. It has woody stalks with short spines, grows 3'- 6' tall, the leaves...
view the full question and answer
Identification of a flower with grape kool aid fragrance
May 17, 2007 - While I lived in Texas someone gave me a flower from a "tree" (i am not sure tree is the right word). It was a large white flower that closed up in the evenings and smelled sweet like grape kool ai...
view the full question and answer
Plant identification
August 24, 2011 - I have searched through all the plant identifications and can not find the one I am looking for. I live 6o miles South of Rochester, NY. In my woods, I found 2 plants, that are no where else in the ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |