Weed ID please!

[ladysown]

number five (the close up) the? closest to the foreground...looks like a HORRID weed I get here that the guinea pigs won't even touch (and they will touch more than the rabbits will) and I tend to trust their judgement as they'll eat TONS of things. IF it's the same thing it will grow to around 3-4 feet high and get a yellowish flower (from what I recall.. I made the mistake one year of saying, oh I wonder what this is.. is it a lovely flower from my neighbours yard? -- He had a HUGE flower garden that would sometimes volunteer in my yard). DO NOT LET IT GO TO SEED. Please. Unless you do find that YOUR rabbits will eat it. But it's young yet, it might not be what I"m thinking it is....

 

[WildWolf]

I have some hen-bit-look-a-like or possible hen bit in my yard... I'll post pics tomorrow to see if it's actual hen bit or the plant avdpas77 was talking about.

 

[LilacGal]

#4 is Sweet William, it is a member of the carnation family. Very nice smell, I don't know how bunny safe it is. If previous property owners or your neighbors ever grew it in a garden it'll colonize the local lawns. Sort of like pansies and violas will. At least all of my grandmother's did in Zone 5.<br /><br />__________ Sun Jun 23, 2013 1:46 pm __________<br /><br />Dianthus Barbatus is it's latin name.

 

[Cottie]

Thanks, LilacGal!

I need to take some more photos. The goal is to come up with a little photo book I can give to the kids when I tell them to grab some rabbit food. We have fortunately few truly poisonous plants around here, although I have seen some that possibly resemble nightshades.<br /><br />__________ Thu Jun 27, 2013 8:49 pm __________<br /><br />More weeds! :lol:

I have a lot of this. It's growing prolifically in my weed...I mean pea...patch. Lamb's quarters? Or something else?



I have less of this.


Not a lot of this - the little flower isn't open, but it's white on the bottom and dark purple on the top edges.



And almost none of this. It's hard to photo - as soon as I picked it, it wilted. :shock:

 

[MaggieJ]

#1 - I think this is a relative of lamb's quarters. Perhaps maple-leaved or oak-leaved goosefoot. I feed on that looks like this in moderation, mixed with other greens and have seen no ill-effects.

#2 - Possibly Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti). I can't do more than guess from the picture you posted, but you can google it and compare what you find with what you have.

#3-4 - No idea on this one.

#5 - It might be purslane (Portulaca oleracea) but hard to tell from the picture. Photographing the whole plant would be a better idea. Identification comes from more than just the shape of the leaves. Growth habit tells one a lot. If it is purslane, it is good for both rabbits and humans. Here's a link so you can compare it to your plant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea

 

[Wheels]

#2 - I agree looks like Velvetleaf and like the names says it should have soft, velvety leaves. It grows upright but has long stems and looks like it should really be some type of ground vine - My rabbits think they're fairly tasty.

 

[Cottie]

Velvet Leaf sounds right for #2.

I was concerned #4 could be pennycress, but I just looked at the photos of pennycress again and they don't match,

#3 and #4 are both difficult to take photos of growing habits. They grow very sparsely in large groupings of #1. Straight up, not very tall. The only things outgrowing #1 are my snap peas and the thistles.

 

[Mac_]

So has anyone fed henbit? Would love to hear your feedback. I have a plot of crimson clover with henbit interspersed that I would love to feed, but it would be tough to separate out the henbit.

Thanks