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mkatieq
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Is this a plant or a weed? >> looks like acanthus?

Hello. I'm Katie and I'm new here (introduction posted in the intro forum).

These "plants" that have sprung up around the perimeter of the lawn that leads to our grove. The gardener says that they are plants, but my gut is telling me that they are weeds. Some are quite big with leaves approximately 18" long. What do you think?

Thank you.
Katie
image.jpg
Last edited by applestar on Sun Mar 08, 2015 11:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Updated title with possible ID
pepperhead212
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Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

Welcome to the board!

Weeds are often plants we just haven't found a use for! That doesn't look like any weeds I have, but I may just not have them in this area. And it doesn't look like anything I grow, but then, I only grow edibles.
mkatieq
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Thank you very much for the reply. I'm not sure what it could be. I grew up in Southern California and I haven't seen this around until now. Although, I'm in a more rural area at our new home. They seemed to have sprung up after the storms recent storms. I searched around after my initial post and noticed that they are in a few other places some of which wouldn't make sense if they are indeed intentionally here. I'm so confused.

Here's what the base looks like:
image.jpg
purpleinopp
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It looks like it could be a bulb plant, but I don't know one with leaves like that to suggest a name.
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applestar
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If those leaves where divided, lighter green, and a bit more delicate looking, I would've said they kind of look like parsnips....
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https://www.parsniprecipes.co.uk/wp-cont ... grow-5.jpg
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rainbowgardener
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I don't know, but if you save it (at least one or two examples) until it blooms, it will become much more recognizable! Welcome to the Forum!
catgrass
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Possibly something in the daisy family? Kind of looks like that to me.
Shirley Pinchev
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Looks like acanthus - maybe a neighbor can tell you if it has tall blue spikes of flowers. It should be dormant now - it this a recent photo?
mkatieq
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Hello. Thank you all for the responses. Yes, Shirley. This is a recent photo. I took it on January 31st when I posted my question. There are even more of them now, but nothing has bloomed. They are all about the same size. I'm in North County San Diego. I asked the neighbors on the 2 adjacent properties and they do not have anything like this. We have 5 acres, it's growing on the areas boarding our lawn close to olive trees. We have an avocado orchard with some citrus and apples, these are not in that area.
mkatieq
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Shirley, it really does look like acanthus. Thank you for narrowing this down for me. I will take a clipping to a local nursery and post an update.

Katie
purpleinopp
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Saw what looks like an identical plant on another ID forum just now & it was said to be Acanthus.
purpleinopp
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Is this blooming now? Did it turn out to be bear's breeches? (Acanthus?)


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