Posted by
Gardener2493 on Jul 20, 2021 1:29 PM concerning plant:
This species (Abutilon Theophrasti) is from the genus of the popular flowering maples (Abutilon) but it is NOT something you want in your garden. Although edible, it is highly invasive in the United States, and can outcompete other plants. Its huge leaves and allelopathic properties make it easy for it to outcompete other plants. In crops, it is a curse. Velvetleaf grows up to 8 feet tall with huge, velvety, foul-smelling leaves and small, bright yellow flowers. The seedpods look like black crowns and contain many seeds that can remain viable for up to half a century. Velvetleaf is similar in appearance to Paulownia seedlings, but Paulownia does not have an odor when crushed, and its leaves are oppositely arranged along the stem. What's interesting is that Paulownia and velvetleaf both come from China, but velvetleaf was imported here as a fiber crop, but Paulownia was introduced as a lumber and ornamental tree. Velvetleaf is also mistaken for its close cousin, Abutilon Indicum, but Abutilon Indicum is a perennial, tropical shrub, while velvetleaf is a huge, lanky annual plant present across the United States. Abutilon Indicum also has rounder seedpods and is not very common within the U.S.
Posted by
ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Jul 28, 2019 3:53 PM concerning plant:
This is a common annual weed in and near farm fields, especially of corn or soybeans, plus gardens and waste places in the country or in urban habitats, plus occasionally in landscape planting beds the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic US, growing as far north as central Minnesota. Even though it has a big taproot, it is not hard to pull up, unless it is a big one. It is usually about 2 to 4 feet high, but can get 6 to 8 feet high. The small yellow flowers are about 3/4 inch in diameter with 5 petals. The cup-shaped seed pods about 1 inch in diameter hold about 5 to 15 grayish-brown seeds that are rounded, but flattened and notched.