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katieeyler

Mystery Plant - Compound a Leaves and Small Bulb

katieeyler
9 years ago

A few months ago, I noticed a bunch of these plants springing up in an area I planned to plant wildflowers. When I pulled them out, I noticed they all had small brown bulbs/tubers attached. I wasn't sure what they were so I decided to do away with them.
Now that my flowers have sprouted and grown, four of these have grown up alongside them.
Anyone have any idea what they are?

Comments (8)

  • linaria_gw
    9 years ago

    they look exactly like Dahlias, and they do have tubers.One looks like flowering soon, so you can see than what type it is. They are perennial in your climate I think.

  • katieeyler
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    No way... Why did I rip them out?! There were so many of them I assumed they were gonna be an aggressive weedy plant or an unwanted shrub. That's a bummer, but at least I still have 4 left.
    Thank you for your help!

  • calliope
    9 years ago

    Yes, dahlia

  • Desirai
    9 years ago

    Dahliaaa!!!!
    When in doubt ... let it grow! :)

    I had some unfamiliar foliage coming up in one of my beds and left it.. it turned out to be a dahlia too!!!! :)

  • katieeyler
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Last time I was in doubt it was Tree of Heaven. I've become a bit over zealous about pulling volunteers.

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    9 years ago

    The moral of this story is ...... come here before pulling ;-)

    Did you dump the tubers somewhere on your property? If so they may be sprouting there.

  • katieeyler
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    No, I threw them all away. I was trying to be extra cautious.
    While we're discussing dahlias I might as well ask: I planted some zinnias, four o'clocks and dahlia seeds in my front yard a few weeks ago. The seeds germinated immediately and they all have 2-4 sets of leaves on them, making them easier to identify. After I saw that my mystery plants were dahlias I realized that only the zinnias and four o'clocks germinated. (I wasn't sure what the dahlia seeds looked like, so I assumed they resembled one of the two other seedlings). Do dahlias take a long time to germinate from seed? Do they need a cold period or anything? I assumed they were quick growing annuals since the seed packets I bought were in the annuals section. I always thoroughly read each seed packet to determine whether or not they're an appropriate choice but now I'm wondering what happened...

  • calliope
    9 years ago

    Grown dahlia from seed numerous times to sell as bedding plants. It's a really economical way for people to come by them. They'll tuber up after their first growing season and in climates where they're not hardy, one can pull the bulb and store them. No, they don't need any sort of stratification.