Gardener warned after sharing photo of mystery growth in yard: 'Get it out'

A stroll in your yard is a nice way to observe plants, insects, or animals that may be around. For one Reddit user, exploring the plants on their land led to a less-than-optimal discovery.

In the post, which was shared on the subreddit r/WhatsThisPlant, the user included a photo of a suspicious twiggy plant, asking, "Invasive plant?"

"My yard (New Hampshire, USA) has tons of these plants. From [a] very brief Google lens/reading, it seems to me this may be a member of the buckwheat family," the user explained. 

"Would anyone with more familiarity be able to provide further information?" they continued.

A plant expert in the comments was quick to offer identification, saying, "It's called lady's thumb and yes it is an invasive plant."

Invasive species come with a host of issues for homeowners. One person moved into a new house and was disheartened to find an invasive ground clover had taken over their yard. Another person had a home free of invasive plants, but their neighbor's choice of planting invasive bamboo led to the problematic species infiltrating their yard.

Not only can invasive species be difficult for people to remove from their yard, but they can also outcompete native plants for sunlight or other nutrients, negatively impacting the entire ecosystem.

To avoid these pesky invasive species and instead have a yard that works with your local environment and not against it, try rewilding your yard. This process, which involves adding native growing plants, will not only be a helpful integration for local pollinators, but some native plant gardeners have proven just how gorgeous these yard additions can be.

To go the extra mile, switching from turf to a native grass can help your lawn be further "wild" — with the added benefits of needing less water and little to no pesticides.

The commenter who identified the invasive lady thumb, also known as redshank, provided some advice for the user. "Get it out of the ground before it gets super thick stalks, they are so hard to get up," they added.

The original poster responded, thanking the user and saying, "I mostly like to leave nature be, but when I saw that it was (likely) an invasive species for my area, I figured I better check."

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