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need ID on thorny plant
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Posted by housenewbie NEPA (My Page) on Wed, May 24, 06 at 11:58
| Hi,
Bought a house last year w/ a perennial garden that's gone a bit wild. There's a big patch of shrubby plants that I think are weeds--I've taken a lot of them out (w/ great difficulty, as they're very stubborn)--but I can't seem to find out what they are. Here's the stats:
Upright growth, w/ arching habit
Most growth is on main stem--not a lot of branching--but new stalks do come up from the base.
Many, many thorns on the stems. Thin; not like roses
Gets about 3-4 ft tall (would be taller but for the arching)
3 leaves, in clusters, serrated edges
They look a lot like my raspberries, but don't seem to do anything. No fruit. Haven't seen any flowers, except 1 small white 5-petaled flower on a short stalk DH pulled up last wkend. Not 100% sure that's the same thing. The raspberries are also straighter in their growth. Raspberry patch is several dozen feet away from the perennial bed.
The property is in the hills outside Scranton-WB, NE PA.
Any ideas would be most appreciated. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| Most likely a wild blackberry, definitely something in the Rubus family. We have them too here in Georgia. |
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| Thanks. So can i pull it out? or is that evil? |
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| Well, I have so many that I pull them out. They tend to make great sticky masses and then honeysuckle grows on them .... They spread by runners, so when you pull them up you might get several. It's just a preference thing, I guess. |
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| Could also be a nasty weed called cat briar or tramp's troubles. Sparse leave growth. The roots are very wiry and and and have a knobby growth. The roots go on forever. I have dug down 2+ ft and never found the end of a root. You might try Round-Up on it if you paint it on or cut out the bottom of a plastic milk carton and place it over the plant and spray thru the neck portion it would be safer than spraying the plant and overspray getting on nearby valuable plants. |
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| tiarella, the scientific name for that vine is Smilax. I occasionally manage to get the corm out, but more often I do not. When I do, I always very happily march it straight to the TRASH CAN! |
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| The very abundant, slender thorns makes me think it could be wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius). The stems look almost fuzzy with thorns, which often have a reddish tint. Wineberry is a non-native plant. |
Here is a link that might be useful: wineberry
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| Hmmm. The wineberry looks close. They do have pretty tough roots. Definitely can't pull it up--have to dig. I'll have to take a pic and see if I can post it. Thanks. |
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| I've found the same thing growing in my hedges. It has little white flowers. My husband thinks it might be a miniature rose bush, but I say No!! Flowers are two small. I live in Scranton/Wb area too. Any ideas would be helpful!!! |
RE: need ID on thorny plant
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| Photo would help if you are asking for an ID. FataMorgana |
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