Could this be Cleome?

9 years ago

I've found a few of these seedlings in my wildflower garden and one that made itself at home with a potted tree. I have a cleome in a pot about 10 feet away from these areas and it has already finished flowering for the season (we never got a winter this year) so I'm wondering if some seed pods got loose and made their way to my flower beds. I tried to Google pictures of cCleome seedlings and they didn't look quite like this. The leaves resemble Cleome leaves as far as shape but they are missing two leaves on each. Any ideas?

Comments (4)

saltcedar
9 years ago
Ailanthus I believe.
katieeyler
Original Author
9 years ago
No. No, no, no, no, no!
I've been battling them too much and if they're in the backyard I'm gonna cry! Usually the leaves of ailanthus have red tips and these don't.
Do the sprouts from them that are connected to underground roots differ from the sprouts from seeds by chance?
I'm about to set off a bomb in the backyard if there is more Tree of Hell growing back there.
saltcedar
9 years ago
Just a seedling so easily pulled up.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
9 years ago
Sorry my pic isn't as good as yours, but these are C. hassleriana sprouts, in glaring sun, and shade. Not your sprouts.

There was a discussion on the FL forum a while back where folks were wondering about the lack of reseeding from Cleome, which can/does reseed in a solid carpet farther north - strange & backwards, compared to most plants that go more crazy in FL than farther north. The general consensus was that the seeds need to experience a colder winter to sprout. Seeing that you are in Z9, if that is indeed a truth about these seeds, you may not have troubles with sprouts. I've been looking for Cleome since I moved here from OH but have yet to find any, so the info is being passed on as a 2nd-hand anecdote.

My pic is from 2001 or 2002 in OH.