There are about 1200 identified species of bamboo, and many of the green ones look a lot alike, especially in the juvenile state. Even if you had more detailed photos of those plants, it would be very hard to narrow it down to less than 50 species at this stage. You are more likely to have luck with an ID in a couple of years when you have taller, more mature culms and are able to provide closeups of the culms and the shoots. Sorry, but anyone who can say they can identify that plant from those photos is just making a wild guess.

Are my eyes deceiving me, or are those culms black?

Josh

Are you sure thats bamboo? Kind of looks like something else to me.

coltrane-
I can at least assure the OP that it's definitely bamboo.

greenmab28-
I thought about that, too, but decided it was just darkness caused by shadow, and that it was a green bamboo. However, if I'm wrong, then you're going to get the Plant Detective award!

kudzu9, I think its the opposing leaf arrangement thats throwing me off. I cant think of a bamboo that doesnt have alternating leaves.

coltrane-
Thanks. That's an important observation, and I admit I missed that feature and focused mainly on the form of the leaf and what appear to be culms. The photos are just a bit fuzzy and I can't quite tell from them whether those leaves are exactly opposed or if they are just slightly offset. In many bamboo the offset arrangement is very noticeable, and in others the offset is very small. I have also had bamboo that had what appeared to be opposing leaves when still a juvenile, but more clearly alternating when more mature. That was a Pleioblastus, however, and that is clearly not what we're looking at here. Let me do a little more research, and I'll re-post. This is getting interesting...

I also noticed that the vaining in the leaves does not run parallel to the blade. Especially noticable in the lower left hand leaves in the first photo.

actually the black you are seeing is the original "stem". when the guy dug it up for me, it went into shock and pretty much lost all leaves. plus the lighting wasnt the best either. i know this is not much help, but seems like he called it "corn-boss"....(i know thats not the right name). maybe something close to that name?

Never heard of 'corn boss'. Im thinking its a young tree or shrub. Its hard to tell.

jaynboro-
Despite my initial, knee-jerk reaction that it was bamboo, I'm getting persuaded I was wrong. Can you post a couple more pictures that are closeups? It would help to see: 1) the shape of the top, 2) a pair of opposing leaves, 3) the area where a "branch" joins the main stalk, and 4) what that stub looks like.

That is not bamboo. I'll do some research and see what I can come up with, but it's not bamboo.

Kt

okay.....will take a few more pics and post! thanks everybody!

the leaves droop after the sun goes down....same plant as earlier pic....just leaves relaxed.
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jaynboro-
Good pix...definitely not bamboo! Now let's try to figure out what it is!

'corn boss' sounds good to me. Im stumped.

I've seen a plant very similar to that, but can't remember where.

Could it be a weed?

Post it on the Name That Plant Forum.

Kt

'Corn boss weed'. Dont they grow those in Iowa?

posted the pic in name that plant forum and they told me it was Senna cassia. just passing along the info! thanks again!

I was thinking Coffee Senna, which grows here and is very poisonous to livestock. That's why I thought it looked familiar, but I didn't think it grows in Tennessee, so I didn't mention it.

Kt

As I recall they indicated Cassia was a synonym of Senna, both being genus names. Hence the parentheses.

I took a look at some pictures of various Senna genus plants on Plantfiles and none of them look the same to me as the photos above. I'm still looking for something that has the brown, bark-y stalk, with the little nodules on the surface...