Need help identifying plants....

[Dona]

I found a couple of strange plants growing along the fenceline at the back of our pasture, and I'm concerned whether they are toxic or not. I'm the first to admit I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to identifying different plants, and hoping that someone on here can identify these for me.

:

This one is growing on a large red stalk (about 1" in diameter and 5' tall). The berry clusters hang down & resemble miniature grapes.

This one is more of a "bushy" plant...but pretty tall as well. The berries are tiny & red.

 

[mountain_waif]

The first is poke weed. The purple berries are toxic, but usually the horses would not eat them. People make poke weed salad out of the green leaves. I've never tried it but have heard it is bitter.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The second one is called Thanksgiving Honeysuckle (don't know its botantical name). Never heard of it being toxic. Birds love the berries.

 

[horsesmakeubroke]

I'm anything but a plant expert but second pic looks like a cotoneaster. Berries also poisonous.

 

[JanBKS]

Well I am no plant expert either, but that first one looks like what we call in Jersey, Ink Berry's, I know there is another name for it, Very invasive, its roots creep along under ground and soon the whole field will be full of them, I use Roundup on them in the fall, so the poison goes into the root system while it is trying to store food for the winter, usually they never come back then, but you will see them crop up in different places the roundup could not reach if they have long leaders coming off them, keep doing the round up and they will soon be gone.

Hope that helps.

If the second one is Honeysuckle they are also invasive to a point.

Thanks

Jan

 

[Bess Kelly]

:bgrin Wow, Dona, dig that first one up by the root and soak the area with Roundup! That rascal will grow like a forest of them -- the roots, if not dug can get HUGE, I'm talking several pounds, like a giant potatoe. I have them here and while they may be toxic, my horses never have eaten them. Birds do and the danged berries are a purple mess -- especially if the horses roll on the ground near the plant and squish them onto their coat. So, next year be sure to watch for the upstarts and spray them very early.

:

I haven't seen #2....luckily. Looks kinda pretty in the pic. Probably something else they shouldn't have.

I find that some animals eat this berry stuff......you know, possum, groundhog, fox, etc.....and so even if it doesn't bother the horses, I like it gone.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Here's what looks like the first one.

http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/harmfulplants/plant.asp?22

 

[Dona]

Thanks guys.....you've been a huge help!

: We always treat our fencelines with roundup....but these plants seemed to appear overnight! :new_shocked: Probably because we have had so much rain lately.

I'll definitely be spraying these heavily....or digging up altogether!