Question: Hi this plant is a surprise that I found growing in my garden. To me, the seed pod looks very …
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Question
Hi this plant is a surprise that I found growing in my garden. To me, the seed pod looks very much like some kind of Poppy, but I've never planted anything like that before. The stems are velvety, and when I broke off a leaf, I found no milky latex. The attached pictures were taken yesterday in Reading MA.
Answer
Dear Stephan, you have photographed Abutilon theophrasti (velvet-leaf Indian-mallow). This is a common weed of agricultural areas and gardens. It belongs to the Malvaceae (mallow family), which explains the lack of latex in the sap. Best wishes.
