A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
stachytarpheta urticifolia
A shrub that is perennial or self seeding in the tropical south. The quilted or waffle appearance of the leaves is the clue that this is not an actual blue porter weed.
Tropical.
Attracts butterflies. Commonly misidentified as a blue porterweed.
Spotted on Jun 19, 2011
Submitted on Jun 20, 2011
14 Comments
I would certainly trust the IFAS as I consider them responsible for my training and we refer their materials to everyone in the Community when we give advice. But I am not advising anyone to pull out their Porterweed!
Honey, do you know how invasive Brazilian Pepper trees and Carrotwood Trees are? Blue Porterweed is nothing compared to these trees. If you like Butterflies, keep the Porterweed and be happy. It is just a weed, but if you like it that is what is important and I gurantee it will do you no harm.
Nettleleaf Vervain .. I can see where the NETTLELEAF comes from.. the leaves of this plant look like the Leaves of the NETTEL.. My friend calls the Nettleleaf Velvetberry.. Verbena jamaicensis.
These plants grow to 5-6 ft. even though they are cut back to approximately 1 ft. twice a year. Plants on the north facing side of a house may be left at a little taller. If the plants happen to die in a frost (unlikely in their location), plants from seed will not need to be trimmed until about a year later.
That is how I read the information. However, I am not a Master Gardener and do not have the training and experience that would go along with that title. Additionally, you are so geographically close to where this picture was taken that I believe you have dealt with these plants before. I would appreciate your comments on what these websites have to say. I generally trust the information from IFAS.
It often depends on the conditions around the plant as to how tall it grows. Mine was as tall as I am. I was unhappy when mine froze two years ago and I have just gotten back a mid-size plant in a pot. It spreads easily, but also can be pulled up easily. And if the winters are too cold you will not have it the next year.
Yes, it is considered invasive. You are saying none of these people call it Porterweed, but instead call it Nettle?
If she has it in her head that she is right, I doubt we can do little except that everyone that knows this plant needs to sign in the name that they know it as. It is Blue Porterweed Family Verbvenaceae Genus Stachytarpheta Species jamaicensis
I got my information from the Pinellas Chapter of the FL Native Plant Society
http://pinellas.fnpschapters.org/porterw...
also from the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, IFAS, UF
http://pinellas.fnpschapters.org/porterw...
I would rather have misidentified in this case as the plant is beautiful, the butterflies love it, but the web sites listed do not.
so what is mine though? still need an ID pls
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/645...
Everything else is perfectly correct in your folder.
This is Porterweed in Florida. Butterflies love it. Where in the world did you get your information that it is a Nettle? Ask any Master Gardener in Sarasota County and I am one.
The nettleleaf vervain is taller. Blue porter weed is shorter, has flatter leaves, and is considered the native of the two. The flowers do appear very similar.
is this the same but of different colors?
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/645...