May 2021 – Guess That Plant
This is the FNJP’s 122nd edition of Guess that Plant!
The May Guess that Plant 2021 photo is a roadside violet has been given so many names you would think this plant was in the witness protection program! Think you know this native annual species? If so, send your answer for this month’s Guess that Plant.
April’s Plant:
Amaranthus cannabinus (L.) Saur., Tidal-marsh amaranth, water hemp
The April Guess that Plant is a common community member on New Jersey’s native freshwater tidal marshes. The water hemp or tidal-marsh amaranth is a common species in the tidal waters of the Delaware River, Delaware Bay tributaries, and the freshwater components to Atlantic Ocean draining rivers and stream. The species is an annual member of the Amaranthaceae that can attain impressive size in nutrient enriched waters, specifically in the upper Delaware River system. It is not uncommon to see 6-8 foot (~2-3m) plants intermixed with wild rice and great ragweed. The species flowers mid-summer and is in fruit by late August and early September.
JRA 4/2021
Hello my plant people — I have no shortage of lawn weeds, and recognize this basal-leaved fellow as English plantain (Plantago lanceolata).