# What is this plant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-plant/318258 "2005-08-23T14:18:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-plant/318258/1 "2005-08-23T14:18:35Z")
I asked this as sort of a bonus question in my prune-the-shrubs thread, but it never got answered and I was thinking it might do better in its own thread. I’ve got guys working at the house right now that are taking out nasty little foundation-screwing-up volunteer seedlings, but I need to know if this thing is going to do anything pretty or if it’s just a big green weed: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/30/35694444_f398f2341f_b.jpg "mystery1") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/62555962@N00/35694444/) Here’s a closer picture: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/32/35694445_3c8da9a76a_b.jpg "mystery2") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/62555962@N00/35694445/) I’ve been trying to figure it out myself but for some reason I have the hardest time identifying anything that hasn’t got flowers on it! One leaf looks a lot like every other leaf to me. Thanks so much in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-plant/318258/2 "2005-08-23T14:29:04Z")
The leaves in pic 2 look like those of a mulberry bush. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-plant/318258/3 "2005-08-23T14:41:58Z")
I should add that it’s quite tall - 8 feet? It’s much taller than I am. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerous\_Nan\_McGrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@Dangerous\_Nan\_McGrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerous_Nan_McGrew)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-plant/318258/4 "2005-08-23T21:20:16Z")
Hmm, toothed leaves, variably lobal? Another vote for mulberry. [Some info.](http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/56629/) Will it do anything pretty? Well, if you have a fruit-bearing one, you’ll get a nice purple slick on the ground below it, along with plenty of bird droppings. Yummy berries though. If no fruit, then it’s going to be a nice shade tree, if a little close to the house. It doesn’t so much have flowers as weird fuzzy caterpillar-looking things. Also, mulberry trees are good for silk worms, just in case you ever had an unrealized dream of being a silk farmer. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-plant/318258/5 "2005-08-24T13:38:31Z")
It’s pretty much _right_ up against the house; is this thing going to endanger my foundation? Do they all grow as high as mentioned in that link, or might I have a dwarf variety? (In other words, if it’s going to get a lot taller should I go ahead and get rid of it?) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-plant/318258/6 "2005-08-24T13:48:57Z")
Mulberrys are quite variable in size. Some grow bushy, and only 8-10 feet tall, while others develop strong trunks reaching 30 feet or more. It’s usually considered a weed tree, so unless it produces buckets of berries for yummy pies next year, I’d cut it down.