That's Not Nicotiana - That's Pokeweed - Garden Edit - July 2024

A month ago, I posted photos showing the seed packet and the knee-high seedlings that were popping up in my new full-sun cut-flower bed on the side of our house.  I crowed about how I was really pushing things with getting used to direct-sowing seeds like this Nicotiana Jasmine.   In that month since, the seedlings kept getting TALLER AND TALLER.  Some were over my head.  And all of them were crowding out other things - like Zinnias and a few Dahlia tubers that I interplanted in that same bed.  

Curious, I thought.  They were growing taller and taller.  No blooms.  Here's what they looked like:

Then....we went to Nat's parents house where her mom has plenty of Nicotiana Jasmine.  Too much, maybe.  Her Mom says that it reseeds iteself.  When I looked at hers, they were MUCH SHORTER.  And the leaves were more droop-y and almost like a lettuce leaf.  

VERY DIFFERENT from what I was seeing in my bed.  

Then, I saw some of the buds had emerged.  They were pointy, long and curving.  Ut oh.  This is NOT Nicotiana Jasmine.

What is it? I'm not sure.  Either the seeds were mislabled.  OR....I brought in a massive load of weed seeds with the manure and garden soil. 

When I dug around to try to identify what I had, all answers pointed towards Pokeweed.  The leaves sure seemed identical:

Time to get out there and rip all this stuff out.  Before it REALLY establishes itself.   Once I remove all the Pokeweed, we'll know what we're left with for cut flowers.