And this...

[farmettehopeful]

I'm not sure if this is a tree, shrub, flower or what! A little history on it...for 4 years, it has been cut down, attempted to be dug out (going down about 2-3 feet and never finding the end because I believe it is going under a cement sunporch addition) and it continues to come back every year. If we let it go, it will shoot up fast and head under the siding. It also starts to get a hard, thicker stem, so I figure it's more in the bush category?! Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i think this is the same mystery plant we had going around last year and it still isn't identified fully yet. i have something that looks similar to this going crazy all around the yard. seems to have orange berries growing on it towards the end of the summer that last all winter. thought it might be America Bittersweet but i'm still looking around to be sure. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CEOR7

just be careful to double check what you have with this. i guess there is a Chinese Bittersweet that is invasive. this might be what i have http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/ceor1.htm

 

[farmettehopeful]

Maybe I will try to let some grow to see what it produces...I said try because they are in where I'm trying to grow flowers..grrr!

 

[897tgigvib]

We will need a lot of closeup photos of the flowers on this one.

The descriptions that also help are:

Are the leaves opposite or alternate?
Is it deciduous or evergreen?
What type of fruit is it? Answer that one by comparing it with some other fruits using criterion such as...how many seeds in it...are the seeds in the very middle...pictures of the seed or seeds will help...

Could this be a sand cherry or beach plum, or maybe a serviceberry? Right now i'm leaning toward serviceberry, aka juneberry. Fruits are like pint sized very dark cherries, and make my mouth pucker faster than espresso with no sugar. But they are edible. I would think that if that is what they are, AND MAKE DARN GOOD AND SURE FIRST, that the cherry/berries could be mixed with other sweeter fruits in pies or tarts, maybe even in muffins replacing blueberries after deseeding them. Serviceberries have a single cherry type seed.

 

[897tgigvib]

I think you have
Amenchelier Arborea, or a hybrid. Sereviceberries are another one that hybridize easily within their Genus. Some of the hybrids have been selected for sweeter fruits.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might try talking to your county extension agent, in the phone book under county government. The agent should be able to tell you how to get it identified, probably at the horticulture department at Penn State since you are in Pennsylvania. Penn State may also have some ideas on how to get rid if it. It certainly sounds invasive if it is that hard to get rid of.

Marshall, that stem on the leaf looks too heavy for Serviceberry or Amenchelier Arborea, doesn't it?

The leaf looks a lot like that Burley tobacco we used to grow, but the stalk or stem is all wrong and Burley is an annual. It is definitely not Burley tobacco, but maybe something in the nicotiana family? Do any of them grow like that? I think that is probably a vine, but I'm not even sure of that.

 

[farmettehopeful]

Thanks for all of your input, I will look into the county extension office info as this "thing" is driving me crazy! I don't think I would care about it if it wasn't growing where it is! I will let it go for a bit to see what develops since I apparently can't kill it anyhow (I have also chopped it and then sprayed what was left of the stems)

 

[897tgigvib]

Tobacco and the other nicotianas belong to the
Solanaceae
family, that is called the
Nightshade
family commonly.


Those petioles are not entirely visible but look within the range for Serviceberry. Serviceberry goes by other common names.
Juneberry
Shadberry
and these common names vary from species to species, and they vary from place to place. I think it was mostly nurseries that pressed the change.

Farmette, try to take more photos of this in different lights, and closer in. Look for any developing flowers.

Flowers, stamens, pistils, all those closeup things usually are what help define what family plants are in. For example, looking at a watermelon flower and comparing it with a squash flower you can tell it is likely the squash and the watermelon are in the same family.

 

[farmettehopeful]

I took a few more pics as best as I could with what is left after I got mad at them last time I also have an email into my local extension office about where to go for plant ID. I can't say that I have ever seems blooms on this thing, even when I let it get a couple of feet tall. I will let this one go this year to see what happens with it.

The missing top leaves are from me attempting to pull them out while I was walking past them last week...all I got was a handful of leaves!

 

[farmettehopeful]

Looks like I will be just letting it grow and hope someone on here can help identify it when it is bigger because the closest place for me to get it identified is 30mins away in a direction I never go...not worth the gas $! Thanks again for all of your help and I hope you all can help again in a few months when "it" comes in more!