What is this plant?

[OaklandCityFarmer]

This is growing in my backyard, in partial shade. It's doing pretty well, but it has a tendency to dry out in the summertime, making it not too tolerant of the drought we're experiencing here...

It's big, about 6 feet tall. The flowers look like daisies, and smell like almond/honey. I propagated it via a cutting, it rooted pretty easily. It's stem is like a soft wood.

Look at those crazy seed pods!


The leaves get really big, larger than my hand.


It sorta reminds me of a tree dahlia? But I don't think so?


TIA.

 

[baymule]

Burdock? Cocklebur? idunno?

 

[so lucky]

Strange. I don't have a clue, but hopefully someone on here will know.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Burdock? Cocklebur? idunno?

I googled both, my plant doesn't look like either.

Strange. I don't have a clue, but hopefully someone on here will know.

Me too!

Years ago I propagated it from a piece that I "borrowed" while on a field trip during a propagation class to some old greenhouses here in the Bay Area. They used to grow flowers commercially in Richmond in the greenhouses, but that business died. Now a bunch of the green houses are in disrepair, those that are functioning are rented out to private growers.

Anyways, this plant was planted in a huge pot outside one of the greenhouses, the plant itself was huge, too. At least 6-8 feet tall and very bushy, and it was covered in flowers. You could smell the honey and almond scent from 10 to 15 feet away from the bush. So I slowed my pace until our group had some distance from me and broke a piece of new growth off.

& ever since I've never been able to find out what it is?

 

[digitS']

It seems like it should be some kind of tickseed.

That it is a woody perennial really throws me off the scent.

Well, if you are gonna have it around it's best that it's no beggars tick ... and, that it smells good .

Steve

 

[valley ranch]

How about a type of Yer almasa, Sun choke. You know the tuber. Let's have another look.



What ever it is I like it.
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Oakland~ We went to the Armenian Church there for years, still do at times~3 to 4hour drive one way from Tahoe area.

 

[aftermidnight]

@OaklandCityFarmer Intriguing, I have no idea what it is but there's a very good "Name that Plant" on Garden Web, I don't think they've been stumped yet. I could ask there for you if you like.

Annette

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm stumped. Does that have a season that it blooms? I assume those spiky pods are the seed pods. What do the seeds look like?

My first thought was some type of sunflower but (even if it grows in partial shade) but I've never seen that kind of seed pods on a sunflower. I'm not sure any sunflowers are perennials anyway.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

How about a type of Yer almasa, Sun choke. You know the tuber. Let's have another look.



What ever it is I like it.
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Oakland~ We went to the Armenian Church there for years, still do at times~3 to 4hour drive one way from Tahoe area.

No tubers, though it does resemble sun choke, I've got that growing too (as well as yacon).

I can take some more photos when I get home from class.

@OaklandCityFarmer Intriguing, I have no idea what it is but there's a very good "Name that Plant" on Garden Web, I don't think they've been stumped yet. I could ask there for you if you like.

Annette

Please do! I'd love more input. If you need more photos, do let me know.

I'm stumped. Does that have a season that it blooms? I assume those spiky pods are the seed pods. What do the seeds look like?

My first thought was some type of sunflower but (even if it grows in partial shade) but I've never seen that kind of seed pods on a sunflower. I'm not sure any sunflowers are perennials anyway.

It's bloom time has been erratic, but that might have to do with being in a (relatively small) container for it's first year of life, since planting it in the ground... it grew all last year and then started to flower in December. It's now February and is still blooming. It's no longer blooming from the top of the plant, I deadheaded those and it sent off new growth from where the old leaves met the trunk of the plant. From that new growth more flowers have bloomed.

The seeds appear after the spiky green pods dry out, and remind me of marigold seeds, I'll get some pictures.

 

[ducks4you]

It is not tickseed, and DEFINITELY not burdock, which I fight every year and the stems are hollow. I would contact your local University extension office and bring a sample. You might like it a lot, but it MAY be invasive, and then you'll be living with it forever.