I'm so hoping this isn't a weed...

[mirime]

...because it'll look like I don't know my weeds from a hole in the ground!

It's among the phlox that the woman who owned our house before us had planted.

Here's a detail of the head of the thing.

Any ideas of what this may be? Thanks.

 

[Reinbeau]

It may be one of the goldenrods - some consider it a weed, I don't, I love it.

 

[silkiechicken]

It's a weed if it's a plant where you don't want it or don't like it. Here I go by, with in doubt, pull it out.

 

[rockytopsis]

I read once that a weed is only a plant that nobody loves. That picture does kind of favor a goldenrod, just never seen them fall over like that. The ones that I used to have here were straight and tall till the goats ate them all.

 

[patandchickens]

From the second photo I am basically positive it is goldenrod. (Sensible people do NOT try to identify goldenrod beyond 'well, it's a goldenrod' - among other things, there are a jillion differnt kinds and the species concept for goldenrods is a matter of debate among taxonomists )

And yes, they can flop over that way. Especially if unsupported by neighboring plants and/or grown in difficult soil and/or you just had a big rain. Funny you should mention it, in fact, since I have to chop the flopped-over volunteer goldenrods back from the top of our deck stairs after yesterday's storms (otherwise the kids get bees in their faces)

You can stake it and leave it, goldenrod is kinda pretty. It may seed a tiny bit - mainly it will spread just by the clump expanding, and while the roots get pretty solidly into the soil it is not really that hard to remove if you should ever decide you want it Out.

Pat

 

[mirime]

thanks everyone! These are SOOOO tall - about 8 ft!

I'll probably tear some of them out - the ones falling over...they obscure the phloxes (or is it phloxi?)