# ID an unfamiliar plant

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-an-unfamiliar-plant/786615>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-an-unfamiliar-plant/786615 "2017-05-15T00:28:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-an-unfamiliar-plant/786615/1 "2017-05-15T00:28:19Z")

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was pulling weeds this afternoon, and one patch of ground was covered with this plant I don’t recall seeing before. At first I thought they were all tons of little, single-leaf plants, but as I dug in a little more I found that they were all connected just below the soil surface via a network of rhizome-like white “tendrils” which resembled long, thin bean sprouts. it almost looked like an aquatic plant. also at various points along the white rhizome-like things were small white. bulbs or tuber-like features about the size of a small pea.

here’s a picture of the leaves:

[![](https://i.imgur.com/removed.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/removed.png)

the leaves are about 3/4" wide, 2" long, and all of those you see are poking up individually from the soil. They’re slightly succulent with little visible structure, but with a thickness about 0.5mm or a bit thinner.

here’s one of a pulled leaf:

[![](https://i.imgur.com/removed.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/removed.png)

at first I thought it might be a kind of purslane, which is everywhere, but figured it wasn’t after I started raking and pulling up all of the tangled white threads.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-an-unfamiliar-plant/786615/2 "2017-05-15T01:36:19Z")

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Looks a lot like [purple/wandering jude](https://www.google.com/search?q=purple+jude+plant&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijraDm3_DTAhUU-WMKHSgdBqEQ_AUIBigB&biw=1088&bih=466) (often called purple jew, IME). Kinda invasive, but can make for good ground cover at times…and is VERY wet-soil tolerant, fwiw.

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-an-unfamiliar-plant/786615/3 "2017-06-08T19:49:45Z")

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to update, it has been positively identified as young Trout Lily.