Q. I have a strange plant growing next to my walkway. How can I go about identifying it? Conrad Cinq-Mars – Gig Harbor, WA
A. That all depends on how strange it is. If your neighbor’s name is Seymour and he feeds it blood it might be Audrey II. I think it is doubtful that you have a Mean Green Mother from Outer Space though. But your neighbors might be a good place to start. Sometimes plants may reseed from your neighbors’ yard that you may be unfamiliar with. Another option is to bring it to the Pierce County Master Gardeners Plant Clinic. They are quite knowledgeable and should you truly have a strange exotic plant they will have resources like books and extension agents they can reference to solve your mystery. The Plant Clinic is open from 9am – 3pm weekdays, at WSU Cooperative Extension, 3049 S 36 Street, Suite 300, Tacoma WA 98409. Other parts of the county probably have similar programs through their County Agriculture Extension and Master Gardener Program.