Weeds? Keepers?

photo by P. Harrington

Spring is here and as landscapes are being cleaned up, it is a great time to see the small details and changes happening. This photo shows a cluster of black-eyed susan (R. hirta) seedlings that germinated last summer or fall in the upper right part of the picture. This was planned. Black-eyed susans don't live very long, but readily self-sow in most situations. By starting out with one plant, a self sustaining population can be established. Of course being able to identify seedlings helps. A good rule of thumb to follow is if you can't i.d. it, leave it.