Parsley-like Tree/Bush/Weed

[inane5]

This weed has been popping up randomly everywhere in my garden beds for a few years now. If not pulled out right away, it will quickly grow into a tall tree, with woody stem and well-established roots. Does anyone know what this plant is? I live in Houston, TX.

The attached picture is one of the larger weeds. They can get much bigger. The leaf pattern is basically always the same as the picture. I have never seen anything else notable about them, such as flowers, or seeds but then again I'm a lazy gardener and not very observant.

[attachment=0]prolific weed in yard.jpg[/attachment]

[Lindsaylew82]

Looks a lot like Hemlock, but you may wanna wait on someone else to confer! I'm 75/25...

[applestar]

Do they have spotted stem?

[inane5]

Lindsaylew82,

Yes, it is suspiciously like hemlock. It does have a 'fern-like' appearance from a distance, which is what I look for when weeding them .

The pictures online of hemlock mostly show pictures of poison hemlock and its white flowers. But In my case, I've never seen flowers. Also I've yet to see a picture online of poison hemlock leaves that are like mine. Pictures online show a much more frilly/fingery leaf. My leaves always seem to be more together, with not as much frillyness. That's why I'm unsure.

[inane5]

Applestar,

Yes the stems do have white spots, like small white bumps. As the stems get woody, I want to say they also have white spots, but I can't be sure until I look again in the morning.

[applestar]

Hemlock would have purple blotchy spots, I think.

To me, this doesn't look like parsley family -- hemlock, parsnip, etc. -- at all. It has branching upright STRUCTURE.

It reminds me of astilbe.

[rainbowgardener]

Inane5, if you can leave just one to grow until it flowers, it will get much easier to identify.

[KeyWee]

It look a bit like wild trumpet vine to me (campsis radicans). It will grow tall and become woody, and also pop up everywhere. Waiting for blooms may be waiting too long, since they don't normally bloom until established 3-5 years.

[rainbowgardener]

It looks LIKE all of those things, but I do not think we have nailed it yet. ...

I think astilbe is closest, but I'm still not entirely convinced... could be wrong though!

[Lindsaylew82]

I thought astilbe at first glance, but I've not known it to behave in an invasive nature. And astilbe doesn't get overly tall.

How tall did you say these get?

[applestar]

"Tall tree" -- another candidate I can think of, white spots and woody trunk-like and all, would be cut-leaf elderberry.

[HoneyBerry]

It definately looks tree-like to me. I get tree seedlings all over my yard because I have so many squirrels. The squirrels bury walnuts and acorns from the trees in the neighborhood and many of them sprout. You might have something similar going on but not necessarily walnut tree seedlings.

[watermelonpunch]

Sounds like a sumac tree, but the leaves aren't right for that.

[inane5]

Sorry for the late reply. More pictures below.

Found a fully grown version in the corner of the 4 backyards. Pretty sure it was not planted on purpose but is just a an overgrown weed that none of the neighbors did anything about.

As far as how it could have gotten in all the garden beds... it may have gotten there from my failed efforts at composting leaves. Most of my garden beds are supplemented with the homemade stuff which still has a lot of unbroken down leaves, etc.

[attachment=0]IMG_9021.jpg[/attachment]


[attachment=1]IMG_5766.jpg[/attachment]


[attachment=2]IMG_4897.jpg[/attachment]

[Lindsaylew82]

What do you think about Chinaberry?

[rainbowgardener]

chinaberry is not bad, but I don't think so:






I think it is a sumac, like maybe staghorn sumac:


leaflets are narrower and there are more of them per compound leaf.

[inane5]

Thanks rainbowgardener, and everyone else! I think it's a match for staghorn sumac.

Wikipedia basically says it grows quite aggressively, both by seeds and rhizomes. (That explains why it's growing everywhere.) The flower/fruit is in a big clump which is probably why I never noticed it. (I mentioned that I'm lazy and not very observant .) The fruit also has a lot of practical purposes, so I think someone in the neighborhood must be purposely growing it, and it wandered into my yard.

Well, it's annoying but not poisonous. Guess I'll just have to keep pulling them.

[!potatoes!]

I don't mean to rain on anyone's identification parade, but I'm not buying sumac in general, or staghorn specifically. the stem in the original picture is much too thin, even for a young seedling.

the original pic also seemed (and the newer ones seem to back it up) to be bipinnate, not pinnate, as sumac is.

still don't have an answer, but that ain't sumac. chinaberry is at least bipinnate.

[Lindsaylew82]

The more I looked at it, (chinaberry) the less the leaves looked correct.

They are bipinnate, but the leaflets aren't as serrated as I thought, which leads me to think it isn't Chinaberry.

I agree, not sumac.

Still working on it! Appreciate the challenge!!!

[Lindsaylew82]

Oh! I think I have it!

Golden Rain tree!
https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/ ... k=bvbQBXN4

Here are some photos from the extension:

[inane5]

Those 3 pictures are exactly what they look like. Golden Rain Tree, from Australia!

Thanks Lindsaylew82 for finally indentifying the weed. You are very resourceful! And thanks Potatoes for raining on the premature parade. Good catch!

[told2b]

Arbor Day Foundation
The goldenraintree lends grace and charm to the landscape throughout the entire year—rare yellow tree blossoms in the late spring and summer, graceful paper lanterns dangling from the branches in autumn and winter. But this tree is more than just looks. Goldenraintrees are hardy, thriving in the tough urban environment and an astonishingly wide range of soil conditions.

The combination of beauty and durability makes for an enchanting sight near patios, in parks, in street rights-of-way and in planters.

[!potatoes!]

what's funny is that I though briefly about golden rain tree, and then dropped the idea for some reason...

[Lindsaylew82]

what's funny is that I though briefly about golden rain tree, and then dropped the idea for some reason...

Great minds!...