Can anyone tell me what kind of weed this is and how to kill / prevent it?

6,470 Views | 14 Replies | Last: 9 yr ago by newsjunkie
AgDotCom
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I've searched so many photos on Texas weeds with purple flowers that my head is about to explode. This may be a wildflower, I dunno. It's starting to take over a monkey grass bed so I'd like to selectively kill it rather than nuke the whole area.

I've tried pulling it as a solution but the stem breaks off at ground level, even when the ground is wet and soft, and I can't get the root out. Then it just regenerates and spreads more.

Apologies for the large photo, wanted to give detail and show both the flower and the leaves.

TIA.



Anna Molly
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Mexican petunia?
Esteban du Plantier
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AG
2.4-D should kill it without hurting your grass.
ksp
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Wild voilets?
ksp
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A broad leaf spectrum herbicide should do the trick or the old fashion way, pull by hand
FlyRod
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It's kind of pretty.
AgDotCom
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Thank you for the replies.

I also thought it was Mexican petunia at first, but the leaves are more rounded than the MP, or at least they look to be.

I'd pull them to get rid of them but you absolutely cannot dislodge the entire root before the plant just breaks off above ground.

I'll look into the other suggestions, thank you again.

Still wondering what this thing is, I've never had this much trouble identifying a plant or weed. I'm stumped!

dave99ag
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AG
Post on the Outdoor board. They have an uncanny knack of identifying just about anything.
Kidwrangler
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Adding a third and final edit. Here is the variety of "wild petunia" that we often see in this area: http://www.wildflowersoftexas.com/ruellia-nudiflora.html

These come up in my yard. They are beautiful when grouped and in full bloom, but tenacious if you want to get rid of them. They have a thick root which will survive your attempt to pull them up by hand, so digging is necessary if a selective herbicide isn't feasible.

I've heard them called "wild petunias". Yours could be Wayside Tuberose (Ruella tuberosa) or a close relative.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruellia_tuberosa



This is another wild petunia that grows in the south (Ruellia caroliniensis) :
http://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Ruelcaro



This native ruellia/wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) is similar, but with a hairy leaf. I haven't seen these locally:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/36458/

AgDotCom
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Thank you Kidwrangler, that's gotta be it!
Also thank you for the helpful info in addition to the identification. Looks like I've got my hands full.
Hammerheadjim
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AG
You have to use a dandelion weeder on them suckers to get them out.
They are very invasive if left alone.
TLIAC
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AG
They are the most evil plants ever (right behind bamboo). They are about as invasive as they come. I mixed up a combination of chemicals (suggested on the outdoor board). The mixture killed a lot of the Satan plants but they still pop up. I love the friend that gave them to me but I hate, hate, hate that plant. Sorry just venting. Do a Mexican Petunia search on the Outdoor Board for a year or two ago. You will probably find my thread.
war hymn aggie
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AG
I have a bunch of ruellia growing in my yard, both the short & tall ones. As TLIAC says, they are invasive. Never planted a one, either. Have lots of milkweed plants that
volunteered to grow in my landscape too.

To the OP, I dont know what these plants are, but I don't think that they are ruellias. I've seen some in my neighbors yard (& he doesn't tend to his landscape at all) & they really don't seem to be invasive at all.
I typically notice them after a summer rain & they tend to bloom in
accordance with my Texas Sage bush & also with the white & yellow rain lillies that grow wild in areas of my landscape. Really kinda pretty. Hoping that one
will sprout up in my landscape like the prior ones mentioned. I'd
suggest that you just leave it alone & let Mother Nature take care
of it.
rsa
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AG
Depending on how bad the infestation is, this might be time consuming. I have had success using Roundup and a small paintbrush to selectively coat the leaves of the plants you want gone. Avoids issues with killing out the plants you want. It may take a few applications as new plants come up, but it works pretty well.
Melin88
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Kidwrangler's first link is correct. It is ruellia-nudiflora. I have dug them up by the root if the soil is soft and friable. If not, I've used the same approach as rsa, using Roundup mixed with a little dishwashing soap as a surfactant to make it stick as I applied it with a paintbrush. Even so, if they have already reseeded, new ones pop up everywhere, so keep the blooms picked off or mow them before they can set seed. It will take some work, but you can get rid of them.
newsjunkie
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You might search under "Texas storkbill". This is what I've always heard it called and it's very invasive. The only thing I've found that works is pulling them up -seems to be that after you pull them up a couple of times they don't seem to come back. Hope this helps.

Actually, after Googling it, seems that the storkbill is a different plant....we obviously called this by the wrong name.
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