Can anybody name this plant?
[img]https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd5/charliemv/IMG_0242.jpg[/img]
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Charlie MV
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rainbowgardener
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I love new words when people come up with them! 
Plant Identi-fiction refers to the fictions we often come up with when trying to identify plants?
Charlie's plant is truly mysterious. I would definitely have to make something up!
Plant Identi-fiction refers to the fictions we often come up with when trying to identify plants?
Charlie's plant is truly mysterious. I would definitely have to make something up!
Last edited by rainbowgardener on Fri Jun 08, 2012 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
More info on the mystery plant CharlieMV posted.
These plants are planted across the front yard of a house in the Shannon area of Columbia, SC in the shade.
I have looked at them for years so they either can stand some fairly cold weather or are taken up in the fall and put back out in the spring. Since it is early June now, and they are so large, I suspect they have weathered the winter where they are.
The leaves are very large - 8 to 12 or more inches across. The plants are around 3' tall.
The stalks of the plants look like stalks of elephant ears, but my search of alicasias and elephant ears has not resulted in identifying them.
One day I may catch the owners at home and ask them, but no luck so far.
Hopefully one of you know what they are. I have a perfect spot for such a showy interesting plant.
These plants are planted across the front yard of a house in the Shannon area of Columbia, SC in the shade.
I have looked at them for years so they either can stand some fairly cold weather or are taken up in the fall and put back out in the spring. Since it is early June now, and they are so large, I suspect they have weathered the winter where they are.
The leaves are very large - 8 to 12 or more inches across. The plants are around 3' tall.
The stalks of the plants look like stalks of elephant ears, but my search of alicasias and elephant ears has not resulted in identifying them.
One day I may catch the owners at home and ask them, but no luck so far.
Hopefully one of you know what they are. I have a perfect spot for such a showy interesting plant.
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Charlie MV
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Charlie posted this plant identification request for me.
I researched your suggestions again, and can't find a similar plant on line - drat. My first thought too, was that it was a member of the elephant ear family (or alacasias).
The leaf is almost round and is sloped. The alacasias that I am familiar with, and from the pictures found on the net, the leaves are more pointed on the end opposite the split and stem. Also, the alacasias that I have seen have a different texture to their leaf. The stems seem the same tho.
Thank you for your response.
I researched your suggestions again, and can't find a similar plant on line - drat. My first thought too, was that it was a member of the elephant ear family (or alacasias).
The leaf is almost round and is sloped. The alacasias that I am familiar with, and from the pictures found on the net, the leaves are more pointed on the end opposite the split and stem. Also, the alacasias that I have seen have a different texture to their leaf. The stems seem the same tho.
Thank you for your response.
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DoubleDogFarm
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Thank you for your identification of this plant. Petasites japonicus (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim. Japanese sweet coltsfoot
USDA shows a map of where it grows, and it does not show it growing so far south. I can assure them it is well and happy in Columbia, SC and has been thriving here for years. [img]:https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=peja3[/img]
CharlieMV, according to info on the 'net, it is eatable. You seemed concerned that if it were not eatable, you would not recognize it. I can't imagine eating a plant that looks like this, even just the spring growth, as many of us southerners seem have a limited palate and don't venture far from abundant local produce.
[img]:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petasites_japonicus[/img]
Thanks again for locating the name of this plant.
USDA shows a map of where it grows, and it does not show it growing so far south. I can assure them it is well and happy in Columbia, SC and has been thriving here for years. [img]:https://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=peja3[/img]
CharlieMV, according to info on the 'net, it is eatable. You seemed concerned that if it were not eatable, you would not recognize it. I can't imagine eating a plant that looks like this, even just the spring growth, as many of us southerners seem have a limited palate and don't venture far from abundant local produce.
[img]:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petasites_japonicus[/img]
Thanks again for locating the name of this plant.