I have a plant that has popped up in a pot in my yard. The leaf is about 6 1/2 in long and 5 3/4 in wide. Both top and bottom of the leaves have a slight fur to them It had to have been planted there by the squirrels. The original plant that was in the pot was a Geranium which died during the frost this year. I have now since transplanted it into a larger pot just in case it is not a weed. Any one know this plant, tree or weed? ( photo / image / picture from jdizz's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from jdizz's Garden )
Although it looks similar to my fig tree leaves there are things that also look different. It looks quite like what we call a "may apple" here in Texas. They grow in damp forest areas where it is cool and shady with moist soil.
Don't think it's a Podophyllum peltatum L. - mayapple They are typically a stick with leaves at the top and don't have leaves growing out from along the 'trunk' http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?sym ... 03_avp.tif http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_q ... m+peltatum
Maybe not then, we don`t have them here because of the sand. Couldn`t remember if they had more than one main stem. Been a while since I have seen them. She said that it "popped up" in the pot so I am assuming it grew fairly rapidly. Figs, especially from seed are slow growers. Seems like it would not be that big in one season if it were a fig. Or is the pic misleading?
I think if they like where they are growing they will be fast growers. I planted mine in August 2003, I over watered and it died back to the ground that year, nothing was left above ground but the roots were gathering their strength. It came back with a vengeance the next spring, starting with fresh out of the ground in early March and by the end of April '04 it was around 4 feet tall and in April '06 it was between 10-15 feet tall. It's huge now and puts out lots of figs. We don't eat figs so in mid-summer we have a dancing, singing Fig tree as it becomes the largest bird feeder in the state.
You guys are just awesome. Thank you for all your help! I took a new leaf in to the local nursery and then showed him the pic. He thought it might be a fig. He really wanted to see the plant to actually say for sure. Pot is big do not want to lug it around. Looked at one of his fig trees similar leaf look but the leaf was stiff. Mine is wispy. The person at the nursery said it is not getting enough Sun to stiffen. I guess that is a natural mechanism for protection from the heat? So I will let it grow and see what comes of this Plant. If nothing else it will make a great deco in the yard if it grows more and a wonderful conversation piece. Mart This has been growing since late spring and is about 1 1/2-2 feet tall. It is in regular potting soil.
Well, if you like figs " I do" I hope it it turns out to be one. They do like a lot of sun with maybe a bit of afternoon shade. I planted one from a rooting that didn`t grow that fast. Maybe you need to tell us what you are feeding it ? I will change fertilizer.
Mart, I haven't done anything to it. Up until now I thought it was a weed! The guy at the nursery told me it may not produce because of lack of sun. We shall see will try and keep you all posted should be fun.
For the first 5 or so years after planting the Fig tree, I would pound a fertilizer stake for fruit and nut trees into the ground near the tree every spring. Haven't done that in at least a couple of years and it doesn't seem to have affected the tree. Also, I planted it way before I started learning anything about gardening so it went into an unamended hole in the black clay we jokingly call soil. Of course, our housing development was built on an old cotton field so it is some really healthy black clay.
