Velvet Leaf

David G · Jul 4, 2014

I have always been annoyed at how velvet leaf just pops up, so I wiki'd it. The plant was imported from China in the 18th century, and the seeds can live in the soil 50-60 years before germinating.

Comments?

Bob Bancroft · Jul 4, 2014

Never saw it around here in my youth. It seems to only grow in cultivated areas, and we pretty much have it under control.

A worse one which has come in only in the last decade or two is wild parsnip. It must have little chisels on its seeds, because it will start and grow anywhere. It's growing in all the field and road edges.

jennifer408 · Jul 4, 2014

do you got a pic of it. ?

John B. · Jul 4, 2014

Here are some images. With its velvet like leaves
it's hard to kill. You need a good surfactant in
your herbicide.
Images of Velvetleaf Weed

notjustair · Jul 4, 2014

I can't figure out how it survives in the brush pile. I burn it a couple of times a year and it is HOT - last time it smoldered for three days after. I never turn the ashes or dump things in it. It only gets tree limbs I trim or have fallen. Right now the velvet leaf is about waist high in there. I need to burn it this week to get that before it seeds. It doesn't seem to matter, though.

fixerupper · Jul 4, 2014

I figure if it's in a field it's there for life. Darned stuff comes up all summer long, long after the other weeds have given up for the season. In august it can be a few inches tall and have a mature button. We didn't have velvetleaf in northwest iowa till forty years ago.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 4, 2014

Have always had it. Chemicals do a good job of controlling it though. What's amazing is you can dig a basement for a house or similar dig and have the plants growing like crazy on the dirt piles. Ground that hasn't seen sunlight for ever how long. That is about the only weed that will grow the first year.

jennifer408 · Jul 4, 2014

yea, we got it out here too, didn't know the seeds could last that long.

Fergienewbee · Jul 5, 2014

Pulled some from my food plot last nigh and usually find a couple of plants in the garden. The plant smells like cat pee to me.

Larry

SweetFeet · Jul 5, 2014

We've always got some here... we always called it Button Weed. Neighbors have a really plentiful supply right next to our fence line.

Did some googling - says that the leaves are edible in a stir fry or omelet. Says the seeds are eaten in China and Kashmir.

Frank 41 · Jul 5, 2014

It is easy to get rid of compared to weeds of today plus they won't choke out the crop nearly as bad.

tjdub · Jul 6, 2014

I was commenting to an older neighbor about how I plowed up some pasture to re-seed it and even though it had not been tilled in 40+ years and it was completely full of velvet leaf. He laughed and told me the story of when they dug the basement out of the church a few years back. The church was built in the 1880s and dirt they piled outside grew up with velvet leaf. Pretty amazing since the weed had only been here for a decade or two before the church was built. Not to mention the seed had to be over 100 years old.

showcrop · Jul 6, 2014

I will comment about how if you do a spring seeding you will get such a crop of weeds. It is almost unbelievable how many types of weeds will spring up. Yet people who are starting some lawn at home will insist on straw for mulch so that they won't get weed seeds. I have asked them if they are putting down sterilized loam.

Velvet Leaf

David G

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Bob Bancroft

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jennifer408

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John B.

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notjustair

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fixerupper

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Anonymous-0

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jennifer408

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Fergienewbee

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SweetFeet

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Frank 41

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tjdub

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showcrop

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