Never seen this before, and I did not plant it

by Dan
(North Bay, Ontario, Canada)

Hello,
I was wondering if you could assist in identifying this plant... Not sure what it is, but I did not plant it, and I have nothing like it in my yard/area... I fear it may have arrived with the addition of new soil to my garden. There are about a dozen clumped closely together, and have a plain but "furry" stem.

Region: Northern Ontario, Canada


Drought Smart Plants reply:

Hi Dan, if you have brought in topsoil recently for a landscaping project, this is most likely the culprit. Any time the soil is disturbed can be an opportunity for 'pioneer' species (we call them weeds) to germinate as most of them require light to start this process.

This one looks like it's possibly a nettle, but as I can't see the stem, I can't tell for sure. Many weeds or even valuable plants look very similar in their first stages of growth. If you're not sure, leave one or two to reach adulthood, or be on the safe side, and pull them all.

Jacki