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Weed masquerading as Verbena bonariensis?

LucidLucid Posts: 387
edited June 2018 in Plants
Hi everyone,

I had several Verbena bonariensis plants in a couple of flowerbeds and suspect some of them were killed off in the extended cold period. I've had a few come up, but a couple of them are looking quite different to the usual leaf appearance etc and I was just wondering if this is normal, or if it's actually a weed that's managed to take over? 

Here's a photo of a definite Verbena bonariensis with the slim stems:



And here's a couple of photos of the potential masquerader with much chunkier stems and leaves:





I'm mostly curious as to whether I should remove them if they're invasive, or leave them in peace - even if they're no longer the Verbena bonariensis. I'm a wildlife friendly gardener so if it's good for the wildlife and not too invasive then I'll be happy.

Lucid :)

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Posts

  • NanniemoNanniemo Posts: 226
    I’ve just been out & looked at mine & they don’t look any different to yours @Lucid so I would leave them 😊
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I have them too, but mine haven't flowered yet. I thought mine were going to be vb too.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited June 2018
    It looks very much like verbena rigida.
    I've got both growing and my v. rigida is at the same stage
    or it could be the sort of verbena they sell for growing in the border - just had a look and mine look like that too...
    and so does v. bonariensis :)
    so it's def a verbena

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • kathie51dkathie51d Posts: 100
    Having been eyeing a strange 4ft plant that sprang up I wonder if mine is also the same? It sure grew quickly like weed. What do you think. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited June 2018
    This is mine. Square stems, very chunky. Ignore the red geum.

    Kathie, I'd say yours was something else. It has quite a different leaf and stem.




  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    kathie51d said:
    Having been eyeing a strange 4ft plant that sprang up I wonder if mine is also the same? It sure grew quickly like weed. What do you think. 
    Eupatorium cannabinum, commonly known as hemp-agrimony
  • AsarumAsarum Posts: 661
    I agree with Pappi Jo
    East Anglia
  • AlisonjayneAlisonjayne Posts: 111
    I have also had a load of these just come up, but where have they come from, puzzled!
    Must stop buying more plants, repeat, must stop buying....
  • LucidLucid Posts: 387
    Thanks for the replies and help everyone. I think they should definitely be the Verbena bonariensis then as they're growing in the same areas as they were originally planted, about 2 years ago. I'll have to keep a check in case they do turn out to be the rigida though, but at least it sounds like it's some form of Verbena.

    Lucid :)
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    My v.bon. survived the winter and is definitely thicker stemmed and more sturdy than it was last year.
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