What is this tiny ground cover plant?

rithopaulo

Seed
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
After re-potting my ficus in purchased bonsai soil this plant began to grow. I have had it co habitating with my ficus now for over 8 years, but have never been able to identify what it is. I dont have pictures of it blooming but it has a very tiny whitish bloom and produces seeds in a little pod about the size of a dot from an ball point pen. It dies back slightly during the winter months but stays green year around and grows very slowly but never much bigger than in the pictures I am attaching.
IMG_20190630_185438.jpg
IMG_20190630_185449.jpg
 

Smoke

Ignore-Amus
Messages
11,668
Reaction score
20,724
Location
Fresno, CA
USDA Zone
9
Looks like elfin thyme
 

rithopaulo

Seed
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
It is a weed called artillery fern, very difficult to get rid of, the gift that keeps on giving.

Awesome! That's it! Did you just know that off the top of head? Thanks for the warning about it being difficult to get rid of. I hop it says in my pot.

I was looking at my picture above and noticed it does have some "blooms" after all if you can call them that. So I set up my microscope and took a picture of the buds and bloom once open next to a human hair.

plant8.png
 

Mellow Mullet

Masterpiece
Messages
3,967
Reaction score
11,229
Location
Mobile, Alabama-The Heart of Dixie
USDA Zone
8-9
It will stay in that pot and all the pots around it and on any surface that is moist enough for it to grow, I have it growing on my benches. One of the reasons that it is called artillery fern is that when it releases the seeds, it "shoots" them everywhere, much like oxalis and a few others. I find it even harder to eradicate than oxalis. I have sprayed some that was growing on my bench with round-up and it did not even wilt it.
 

rithopaulo

Seed
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
And Here I have been worried that when I change soil I might kill it and it would not come back, so I have always been careful to preserve a bit of it. ;) I guess I don't have to worry to much anymore.
 

choppychoppy

Chumono
Messages
720
Reaction score
1,306
Location
N. Florida
Awesome! That's it! Did you just know that off the top of head? Thanks for the warning about it being difficult to get rid of. I hop it says in my pot.

I was looking at my picture above and noticed it does have some "blooms" after all if you can call them that. So I set up my microscope and took a picture of the buds and bloom once open next to a human hair.

View attachment 249643


I would pay big money to never see this again in my garden haha.
 

Orion_metalhead

Masterpiece
Messages
2,993
Reaction score
4,455
Location
Central NJ
USDA Zone
7a
Its only a weed if you dont want it where it is.

If it doesnt hurt your trees, and you like it aesthetically, and you can integrate into your visiom for the tree, go with it!

Regarding seed spreading... if you see flowers, cut them off or, put the tree in a large tub when seeds are preparing to be expelled. You can contain them and dispose of.

Ive used this technique to capture witch hazel seeds in PA, and it worked well.
 
Top Bottom