Is this pellitory? (Red Admiral larval host)

I have gobs of this plant showing up in pots and alongside my house. Am not sure what it is but it looks like Pellitory - Parietaria floridana (which is a larval host plant for the Red Admiral).

I have no idea where this stuff came from. I know I've done trades for plants but not for Pellitory. Am thinking perhaps old seeds came mixed in soil from a trade or perhaps when I received plants from Shady Oaks Farms last year some seeds got mixed into the soil of the plants I purchased.

I often recycle soil if a plant doesn't survive so it's very possible now that it's Spring they are sprouting.

I've been pulling it out thinking it was a weed but today I received the email newsletter from butterfliesetc and saw a photo of pellitory on their website that sure looks an awful lot like this. http://butterfliesetc.com/images/rapellitory600.jpg - it really does look like the stuff...but am not 100% sure.

Can anyone tell me what this plant is? Pellitory is of the urticaceae family but this does not sting like nettle or anything like that. What is it???

Help???

~ Cat



This message was edited Mar 12, 2008 9:51 PM

Another closer photo. There appears to be tiny clusters of what looks to be flower buds under the top leaves.

~ Cat

Cat - I think it might be. I have it all over my yard and in my garden beds. It is a WEED here! I guess I should leave some of it in my garden just in case? LOL!

Here is a website with drawings:
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=6546&flora_id=1
http://erec.ifas.ufl.edu/weeds/florida%20pellitory.html (After looking at these photos, I am certain that is what is in my yard all over the place!!)

While I was looking for it on the internet, I found this website that also lists "weed" host plants at the bottom of the list:
http://www.afn.org/~afn10853/hosts.htm

Becky....am truly hoping it is!!!

That second link really looks like what I have too :o) Hey, maybe it came in some soil in a trade from you? WOOOHOOO! Got my fingers crossed. I've sent photos to Shady Oak Farms so hopefully Edith can identify it for me.
I promise not to label it as a weed and pull it out :o)

That last link is a keeper too! WOW!! I must save that to a file and print it out too.

~ Cat

Wow! This grows all over my butterfly garden and I constantly pull it out. I guess I'd better start leaving it.

Terrie

Eeek, me too Terrie!

Thanks for the heads up Cat, I just saw my first Red Admiral ever in my yard last week. I'll make a point to put some of the Pellitory in the bf garden. It pops up all over the back yard, has been there for years, but I've never seen any chewing damage on the leaves. Maybe they haven't found it yet...

Thanks for the good links Becky.

Cathy

There's different species of pellitory, so it's probably pellitory of some kind...that looks like the flower clusters I'm familiar with. But the leaves are different from the pellitory that grows here. Maybe I'll be able to get a photo of mine posted later. Pellitory is definitely a weedy plant, but on the other hand it is harmless and won't sting anybody.

Just got email from Edith at Shady Oaks Farm - butterfliesetc.com - it is pellitory!!! WOOHOO!!!

Thanks to whoever dropped seeds in my soil :o)

~ Cat

Cool! I'm glad you've got some. Here's what mine look like...Pennsylvania Pellitory is what it is, I'm pretty sure.

Awesome, Cat! It is growing everywhere here. I am surprised I haven't seen more Admirals.

Linda - Yours does look like the Penn. Pellitory! Do you get the Admiral Butterflies in your yard?

Becky, I do get some Red Admirals coming by on occasion. But haven't seen any of their caterpillars on anything. I also have one Stinging Nettle that a friend gave me last year...thought that might persuade the butterfly mamas to lay eggs...we'll see.

Here's another good link (I love the USF Plant Atlas!): http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/images.asp?plantID=2328

In looking at the pellitories, I think I have the clustered pellitory in my yard. Sigh. Another weed I have to make some room for and agree to get along with.

Becky,

This is the first time I've noticed it growing in my yard. It popped up in a few pots (no doubt because I recycled soil) and there's a whole gob of it growing alongside one of the back walls of my house (yes, I toss out the soil from the pots where plants have croaked in that area).

I moved one of the larger pots that is filled with it out near the duranta bush and close to one of my bait stations. Hopefully when the weather starts to cooperate I'll get some RAs coming around. Got high hopes that they will notice it and start using it.

Linda...who could ask for a better species does not sting like nettle!!! Let's all hope the RAs in our yards will like it.

SV...do let us know if the RAs in your yard make use of it too. I don't normally see RAs flying close to the ground...and this is a low growing plant. Here's to praying they'll notice the stuff that's in the potted plants - it's about a foot higher than ground level :o)

Mellie....this stuff really does grow like a weed. Sure is living up to that moniker! You are so right...another weed to make some room for and agree to get along with :o) On a good note...this would make a nice ground cover for the front flower bed - right now some other dratted weed of no use to me (comelia communis?) is running rampant there.

~ Cat