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YAWITPT

Raduque

Raduque

Lifer
So my parents have this plant growing all over their property. Some of the plants are small and bush-like, while other plants grow tall with thicker stalks, and one of them is like a small tree. This one provides shade over their AC compressor so they're likely to keep it.

The plants are all the same: Broad, 3-sided leaves, and both the leaves and stems are "fuzzy". The fuzz is prickly if you touch it or brush against it bare.

Pics
small bush type
larger tree type

Any ideas what this thing is and how to kill it for good?

Fixed
 
Does it grow quickly?

If so, I'm pretty sure my parents had the same thing in their yard. We tried numerous times trying to cut it completely to the ground hoping it'd die, but within a few weeks it would have some shoots up already. We even went so far to pour gasoline on it, in hopes of killing it, but it survived that. Finally, the only way we could get rid of it was cutting all of the limbs off and digging the stupid thing up and throwing it the yard waste bin.
 
"Yet Another" because isn't there a "what is this plant" type thread about once every 2 weeks or so? I figured we were overdue for one.

rivan, fixed. My copy/paste-fu is weak today.

QurazyQuisp, yea, it does. There was a huge one in the backyard, they chopped it to the roots, drilled big holes in the stump and drowned it in diesel. That plant is dead and gone, but about 20 more popped up elsewhere on the property.
 
I don't think it's Sassafras. We're too far south for that. Also, neither link describes the feeling of the leaves and stems as "fuzzy" and "prickley".
 
Originally posted by: Raduque
I don't think it's Sassafras. We're too far south for that. Also, neither link describes the feeling of the leaves and stems as "fuzzy" and "prickley".
Click to expand...

That range of habitat map I linked to is probably 20-30 years out of date. You are close enough in Corpus Christi.

Apparently the leaves start out hairy and transition to smooth as they mature.

This site mentions initial fuzz

Leaves ovate to elliptic in overall outline, 6 to 12(18) cm long, to 10 cm wide, tapered to a petiole to 4 cm long, apex obtuse to acute, entire or with 1 or 2 lateral lobes (entire, right-, left- and 2-thumbed "mittens" occurring on the same tree), lower surface at first soft-pubescent or tomentose, usually becoming glabrescent.
Click to expand...
Pubescent = covered with short hairs
Tomentose = covered with short, dense, matted hairs.
Glabrescent = hairless
 
Originally posted by: Raduque
I don't think it's Sassafras. We're too far south for that. Also, neither link describes the feeling of the leaves and stems as "fuzzy" and "prickley".
Click to expand...

Sure as heck looks like sassafras to me. The thing that should give it away is the leaves that look like right or left handed mittens or three finger mittens in addition to normal looking leaves.

But come to think of it, I think sassafras doesn't have serrated leaves like your pictures.
 
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