“It was many and many a year ago, in a kingdom by the sea..." Edgar Allan Poe
20 March 2011
Mystery Plant
Charleston, S.C.
What is this plant? It was growing along the sidewalk curb for quite a stretch. I think I was on Ashley Ave. since I spotted it on my way back up to the park on the Walk for Water. It was very unusual looking growth.
yep, I'd say its some sort of bamboo, probably invasiv-ing itself out. I'm thinking that the owner of the property is going to be feeling the boo-boo soon.
I think Lydia has it! It looks exactly like the photo in her link and a fern makes so much more sense than bamboo for that tiny space between the sidewalk and the wall. It was such uniform growth that it had me puzzled. Thanks everyone - thanks Lydia!
OMG, when I saw the picture I said some type of freaky mutated asparagus and when I came to comment Beach Bum beat me to it. What is it with my ideas, Saturday Ken Burger does a column on chasing rainbows ala my blog a month ago and Beach Bum beats me to the punch with my funny. Ha LOL. So Beach Bum, great minds?
That is horsetail fern and it is impossible to get rid of and very invasive. Blech! Took me almost 4 years, YEARS!, to get it under control in a part of my yard. Not as bad as the ongoing 8 year battle with the blackberry brambles under the porch, but still. Can you say annoying? I thought you could.
We call it Snake Grass here in Indiana. And yes it is invasive. I used to work in a flowershop and ironically, it is very popular in floral designing. When nature give you lemons, make lemonade.
Its spreading growth pattern and its "segmented" shoots look like some variety of bamboo. Just a guess. :)
ReplyDeleteS
I'm with Low - it looks like bamboo to me.
ReplyDeleteI thought bamboo, too - but what a strange place for it to pop up! You could chronicle its growth over the season.
ReplyDeleteYea, my first thought was some minature bamboo from Japan. Let us know when you find out.
ReplyDeletemaybe this?
ReplyDeletehttp://stokestropicals.plants.com/Equisetum-hyemale-Horsetail-Fern-Scouring-Rush-P62.aspx?gclid=CNH06J2W3qcCFQli2godZX2Z9w
Lydia
Very cool looking. Bamboo.
ReplyDeleteyep, I'd say its some sort of bamboo, probably invasiv-ing itself out. I'm thinking that the owner of the property is going to be feeling the boo-boo soon.
ReplyDeleteI think Lydia has it! It looks exactly like the photo in her link and a fern makes so much more sense than bamboo for that tiny space between the sidewalk and the wall. It was such uniform growth that it had me puzzled. Thanks everyone - thanks Lydia!
ReplyDeleteEquisetum hyemale 'Horsetail Fern' 'Scouring Rush'
Evil mutant asparagus?
ReplyDeleteStand back! Those are rattlesnakes with their heads in the sand! Beware!
ReplyDeleteBeach Bum - I like that!
ReplyDeleteCatalyst - Too funny!
OMG, when I saw the picture I said some type of freaky mutated asparagus and when I came to comment Beach Bum beat me to it. What is it with my ideas, Saturday Ken Burger does a column on chasing rainbows ala my blog a month ago and Beach Bum beats me to the punch with my funny. Ha LOL. So Beach Bum, great minds?
ReplyDeleteThat is horsetail fern and it is impossible to get rid of and very invasive. Blech! Took me almost 4 years, YEARS!, to get it under control in a part of my yard. Not as bad as the ongoing 8 year battle with the blackberry brambles under the porch, but still. Can you say annoying? I thought you could.
ReplyDeleteDoug :))
ReplyDeleteJanetLee - this doesn't have too far to go since it is in the crack between the sidewalk and the wall. I'll have to check back and see what happens.
*whinnying*
ReplyDeleteWe call it Snake Grass here in Indiana. And yes it is invasive. I used to work in a flowershop and ironically, it is very popular in floral designing. When nature give you lemons, make lemonade.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you framed this shot photographically. Wonderful symmetry. I've seen this before somewhere. Probably back in the Pleistocene.
ReplyDeleteHorsetail - it's is a bog plant - great in garden pools provided you do it in a container to keep in bounds...wonderful in flower arrangements.
ReplyDelete