Perennial or biennial cane

[kaycei]

I'm in my first spring in a new house, and have been working on a raspberry patch that was established by the previous owners. There's a plant growing in it, a lot, that I haven't been able to identify:
It's either a perennial or biennial cane, 4 feet tall, smooth silver bark, bright green leaves growing up the cane in pairs. The leaves also grow straight from the ground. I pulled one up and it was a runner. It seems to have the same growing habits as the raspberry, but is definitely a different plant.

It's the plant in the middle.

Light colored canes amoung the raspberries.

New shoot coming up.

New leaves on an old cane.

 

[vfem]

It could be a younger raspberry... but look for thorns, maybe a blackberry or blueberry?

 

[kaycei]

There's no thorns on the unknown plant, plus the leaves are different. The raspberry leaves are in sets of three and more serrated than the unknown plant. The old stalks of the unknown plant have smooth, much lighter bark and the leaves are in pairs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know what that is. Is it only among your raspberies or more widespread? Is the stem solid as in woody or more pith-filled? You mentioned a smooth bark so I assume there is actually a bark that can be scrapped off. Is there any kind of distinquishing smell if you crush the leaves or scrape the bark? It does not look like the canes branch from the photos. And only 4 feet high. Somehow, I expected it to be more of a vine looking at the leaves.

I'll fall back on a standard answer. You can always check with your county extension agent. They'll have resources to identify it if they are not already familiar with it and may have suggestions on how to combat it. With it having a runner habit among raspberries, it can be difficult.

Hopefully some others here can identify it. Good luck!!

 

[Greensage45]

It looks like Ruella or Mexican Petunia. It will either have pink or purple flowers. I would love to find pink (hint hint)

Ron

 

[insiderart]

Looks like hydrangea to me.

 

[kaycei]

I don't know what that is. Is it only among your raspberies or more widespread? Is the stem solid as in woody or more pith-filled? You mentioned a smooth bark so I assume there is actually a bark that can be scrapped off. Is there any kind of distinquishing smell if you crush the leaves or scrape the bark?

It's only among my raspberries, and it is currently limited to only part of the patch. However, it's the dominant plant at that part of the patch.
The stem is solid and woody, and it is possible to scrape the bark off.
I haven't noticed any smell, and forgot to check that when I was out there earlier.

It looks like Ruella or Mexican Petunia.

I looked at some pictures of Ruella, and all the leaves were significantly thinner than the ones on my mystery plant.

Looks like hydrangea to me.

It might be. Does hydrangea grow in a cane though, because these descriptions make hydrangea sound more bush like? My mystery plant is definitely a cane... not really any branches at all. The leaves are a good match though.

I do plan on trying my extension office, but that won't be for another week. It would be nice to figure out the mystery before the weekend, so I can make more progress on weeding/thinning/mulching my raspberries. I just don't want to kill off any plants I want in the process.

 

[insiderart]

Hydrangea does have a growth habit of stems. And in cooler climes will often die back to the ground during winter. Leaving the next year's growth to again produce long apical stems again.

It will be interesting to see what the coop extension office says.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I went out to look at my hydrangea. The leaves are a very good match and they are in pairs. The canes do not branch. The leaves are 5" long and 3" wide. The canes remind me of elder in cross-section. They have a thin woody ring but are mostly filled with pith.

My old canes are less than 2' tall, but it might be a dwarf hydrangea. I moved here 1-1/2 years ago so I did not plant it so I don't know exactly what it is.

I do not have any new leaves on last years canes, but we had a late freeze that zapped it. No blooms this year either.

From it's growth habit, I would expect it to be a dominant plant in a raspberry patch. I don't see how a raspberry could survive inside a hydrangea, it's that thick.

The one I have is not solid stemmed but is very pithy. That's the only significant difference I see.

 

[kaycei]

Thanks for the help on this one. Right now I'll assume hydrangea and leave the plant alone--put it on my relocate list, and mulch/thin around it, just like the lovely lily patch in my raspberry patch.