These things started popping up in my yard last year. They started growing along the edge of the house, but we were occasionally finding them in the middle of the lawn. This year, we are getting more rain than usual and the ones along the edge of the house are growing like crazy! We are also seeing more new ones in the lawn. When they first start growing, they are very flat. They remind me of dandelion leaves, but they are much more wide. When they get large, the leaves are about a foot long each. New leaves always emerge from the top center of the plant, as older ones push down and out. The plant gets much wider than it does tall. They have somewhat thick and fuzzy stems with red streaks in them. Last year, my boyfriend thought they were wild rhubarb, but I found some pictures online and they don't even look similar. They have no blooms, for one. I've attached a few pictures, including one of a relatively young plant. No new ones, sorry. Those got mowed down by my neighbors right before I took the pictures. Also, the picture of the stems does not justify the red in them. It was pretty bright outside when I took them.
My first thought is that it looks a lot like some kind of Verbascum. I've had Verbascum nigrum self-seed in our garden. They're biannuals, so the first year you only get leaves. They bloom in their second year, and then die, after having scattered lots of seed about.
Curious indeed! I've been looking around online all morning with no luck. I've found mulliuns and docks that start out similar but don't grow to be the same as this.
Hmm... thanks, gardenmama. I couldn't find any pictures of wild rhubarb that looks like that. It doesn't have the tall stem with flowers at the top. :S
I haven't been able to forget your mystery plant. does this description seem familiar to you? If it does, check it out on Wikipedia: Common Mullein.
Oh, guys! These both seem so similar. But I still haven't seen any flowers. The way the leaves grow makes it look like a flower bud, but they are leaves for sure. Because they spread out as they grow. No flowers. No flowers or buds at all. :S The leaves on the burdock look especially similar. Do you suppose it's not flowering because of the climate? We've had a lot of rain, but it's usually cold and dry in the winter and reeeally hot and dry in the summer. Zone 4.
I think your plant is going to send up a long stem before it blooms. Guess we'll just have to be patient. *deep sigh*
I would also say its some form of Rhubarb. It looks purposely planted near the house. Also you say it has red streaks on the stems. If its was dock, you would have a ton around. Rhubarb should get a tall white flower stalk. Maybe it is a non flowering hybrid, if there is such a thing?
So it's starting to grow stalks now! One day, there were none.. then almost overnight, stalks started shooting about a foot above the plant. There appear to be new leaves coming out of the side of the thick stalk. I'll take pictures tomorrow.
