Question for Josephine and all

This is my problem area in my back garden. It got sorta "out of hand" when I had hip replacement surgery 1 1/2 yrs ago so I designated it as the "wild zone" and have tended to let it get out of hand for the beneficial insects etc.

A brief description of whats there:
1. Privacy fence west side of property for afternoon shade
2. smallish red bud tree for overhead shade in summer (covered by coral vine also in the back--no hacked down to ground level)
3. lots of turk's cap in back
4. hamalia patens which get quite large and provide eastern shade
5. asst spring blooming bulbs which are starting to die back now in front
6. autumn sage in front which some ants might have killed (very spawns of the devil fireants are)
7. butterfly weed scattered thru out

I've hacked back the turk's cap and found this plant in the back which I believe may be goldenrod. (second pic).

First pic--the mess

Now this is the plant I suspect might be goldenrod--saw some "goldenrod" like blooms back there in the dense jungle last fall. Yanked some of it out and it appears to be spreading by short runners. If it is golden rod I would like to keep it, as it is shading the feet of my turk's cap and keeps other weeds down. Never planted goldenrod but we have tons in the fields around my "little house on the prairie". lol

This message was edited Mar 15, 2006 1:44 PM

Now this is a known butterfly weed (along with an emerging TX star hibiscus) just across the brick path next to the hollyhocks and hidden by the short fence in the front.

Now it looks similar but I don't think its the same plant.

Do you think the second pic is goldenrod? Should I monitor it and see what it does? Or yank it out? What do ya'll think?

I'll get out there and finish up except for this "questionable" plant and hope it gets sunnier out there for a better shot--its "teasing" us with the possibility of rain. And then I'll post another pic--with no other weeds.
Debbie

Debbie, it does look a lot like Goldenrod, but i am not totally sure because the leaves seem a little longer and thinner than the ones on my Goldenrod.
Mine did volunteer in my garden also, and now I have lot of it, but I keep it under control. I will try to post a picture of mine, of course, as I am sure you know there are many varieties of Goldenrod, so even if it doesnt look like my plants, it still could be.
I say there is no harm in letting it grow and see what it turns out to be, that is allways fun. I think it is a very pretty plant.
Josephine.

Well here is my comment, for what it's worth. Every time I leave a plant that I cannot identify it turns out that it's a weed that has a root system not to be believed! Now I yank it if I don't know it.

Debbie, here is a picture of my Goldenrod, a very young plant.
Does your plant have the little notches on the sides of the leaves?

I would leave it looks like goldenrod, a lot like the goldenrod that I have here. I try to leave everything I dont know what it is - so many have turned into wonderful plants that I love to have here!

April, Josephine, and Mitch--thanks all!

Current count:

Yank it-1
Leave it-2

Josephine the leaves have a very slight notching but not as pronounced as yours--if the sun will shine tomorrow, will zoom in on those leaves--its just too cloudy for a good pic this afternoon.I did get the entire area "hacked" back though--so that was good. Took me forever to cut those turk's caps back--and to think that was originally 3 small plants 3 or 4 years ago. Did find this "lone" bloom on it. The coral vine took 3 huge gargage bags stuffed!