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kandykiss

Dahlia or weed

kandykiss
14 years ago

I plant a perennal dahlia last year near this spot but don't know if this is a weed or the dahlia? it is starting to get pretty tall I would say it's about 24 inches now. Should I yank it or wait to see if it will flower? Thanks


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Comments (6)

  • Poochella
    14 years ago

    The stalks sure look dahlia-like, and the notched leaves look like dahlias, but the elongation of the leaves and vein pattern aren't ringing a bell with me. That doesn't mean much though as foliage can vary greatly among dahlia varieties.

    I would give it some support and see if a bud forms on top some day soon. You're lucky it wintered over if it is a dahlia.

  • homemommy
    14 years ago

    I agree, something about it seems dahlia like, but then not... I am befuddled... All my dahlias have a compound leaf, which this does not seem too... although there are a lot of differences in the leaves themselves...

    I would let it continue to grow until it flowers. Or... search the area for similar plants... if it is truely a loner, then it is much more likely a dahlia.

    I also agree, very lucky it survived... Zone 7a is risky...

  • weirdtrev
    14 years ago

    My vote is for not a dahlia. There are several hints that make me think that.

    1. You said it is NEAR where you planted a dahlia, they don't move it would be in the same spot.

    2. It doesn't look like any dahlia I have ever seen.

    3. It is far too tall for this time of year. I am in zone 7 and my dahlias that survived the winter outside are about 3 inches tall now.

    Plus you grew the dahlia last year if the leaves looked nothing like that then that isn't your dahlia. I suggest you try the Name That Plant forum to find out what it is. I don't think it is your dahlia but if you have room for it you can still leave it to see what the flowers look like. They might be nice.

  • rose_nutty
    14 years ago

    I recognize this as a weed, but I can't put my finger on what the name of it is right now. I am 95% sure it isn't a dahlia, though. It is a common weed in my area.

  • Poochella
    14 years ago

    It's a pretty nice weed, if indeed that's what it is. I say let it grow or else we'll never know the answer to this puzzle!

    I let some promising 'foxglove seedlings' sprout and grow for weeks in my perennial bed one year til my nice neighbor kicked one and told me it was a horrible weed and best to get rid of it. Live and learn.

    Another way to see if it's your dahlia is to gently dig it up and check out the roots. If there are tubers, bingo, if shallow rooted or no tubers, then it's a non-dahlia.

  • cotodahliagirl
    14 years ago

    I live in Southern California and have one rogue tuber that is just starting to come up now. Apparently I did not get the entire clump when I dug up. So that being said if mine is only 5 inches tall in a hot climate. I vote for it being a weed.