# Id this plant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032 "2014-09-30T23:07:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/1 "2014-09-30T23:07:39Z")
[Two pics](http://s294.photobucket.com/user/badger60/library/#/user/badger60/library/leaves?sort=3&page=1&_suid=141211840739805028236143543915). Western North Carolina. The leaves have the appearance of a flower. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/2 "2014-10-01T00:13:56Z")
Where did you find it? What sort of habitat? The “flower” you show seems to be just hanging there in space: is it on a stem, a tree, a vine, groundcover, what? Do you think it’s probably a native plant or possibly an imported ornamental? Are the leaves fleshy like succulents (aeonium?) or flat and waxy? Anyway, looks like what you need is [NameThatPlant.net](http://www.namethatplant.net/), Native and naturalized plants of the Carolinas and Georgia. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/3 "2014-10-01T00:52:39Z")
Thanks, but I don’t know. I didn’t take them myself. The only thing I’m sure of is the location. ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/4 "2014-10-01T16:11:46Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Thanks, but I don’t know. I didn’t take them myself. The only thing I’m sure of is the location. I grew up in Western NC, but that isn’t really ringing any bells. The blooms on a Hop Hornbeam are longer and droop, and the flowers of a Tulip Poplar are yellow and look more like a tulip (duh!) and less like an artichoke. It might be a terminal bud or an immature flower of a spicebush, but I’m just not sure. Better context and some shots of the whole plant would help. Spicebush flowers turn brownish red when mature. The plant is host to the Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars, which are large, typically green but occasionnally brown or yellow, and have very noticable eyespots which make them look snake-like. Sorry I can’t pin it down for you. :o ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/5 "2014-10-02T18:33:41Z")
I’ve added another pic to the album that shows the plant that this is attached to. The plant is about three feet high. (Looks like a caterpillar to the left of it, too, but maybe not.) ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/6 "2014-10-02T19:10:57Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > I’ve added another pic to the album that shows the plant that this is attached to. The plant is about three feet high. (Looks like a caterpillar to the left of it, too, but maybe not.) The two pics aren’t flowers. The flowers are the three dark purple “things” hanging from the stem a little lower. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/7 "2014-10-03T03:37:12Z")
Interesting rosette of leaves. The leaves look a bit fleshy, almost like it is related to a succulant. Sorry, but I’m not familiar with it. But I am interested in it. ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/8 "2014-10-06T14:09:11Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > I’ve added another pic to the album that shows the plant that this is attached to. The plant is about three feet high. (Looks like a caterpillar to the left of it, too, but maybe not.) Not a spicebush; wrong growth pattern and leaf shape. Seeing the whole plant, it looks familiar, but I can’t put a name to it at the moment. 😕 The smaller plants with pinkish blooms look like milkweed, but that’s not what you asked about. :o ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/9 "2014-10-06T14:17:29Z")
I am wondering if it might be some kind of a thistle? ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/10 "2014-10-09T22:15:13Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I am wondering if it might be some kind of a thistle? Definitely not. Thistles have sessile, lobed leaves with a point at the end of each lobe, and a blossom bud that looks like an artichoke. (An artichoke **is** a thistle “writ large.”) ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/11 "2014-10-10T13:35:35Z")
Not an expert on plants nor am I a botanist. I try to polish my google skills. Here’s what I got - see if it makes sense : it is called goldenrod (Solidago) bunch galls or solidago flower gall. Here are two links with the explanation of the cause of this: 1\> [Solidago flower gall](https://www.flickr.com/photos/herbalroots/6103101004/) 2\> [Galls - look around a quarter down the page](http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/other/galls.aspx) What do you experts think ? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/12 "2014-10-10T13:42:13Z")
Okra ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/13 "2014-10-10T16:41:06Z")
By George, **am77494** , I’m no expert but I think you nailed it. The OP’s plant definitely looks like goldenrod and that rosette/cluster does look quite similar to images of bunch galls. Imma nominate you for an SDMB Anti-Ignorance Combat Medal. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/14 "2014-10-10T16:47:11Z")
I agreee. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-plant/700032/15 "2014-10-11T02:59:45Z")
Thanks folks