Is this a weed? - Ask Extension
There's a fair amount of this in my garden and I don't want to pull it up if it's beneficial.
Knowledgebase
Is this a weed? #947825
Asked October 28, 2026, 12:49 PM EDT
There's a fair amount of this in my garden and I don't want to pull it up if it's beneficial.
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Without a closeup of the leaf attachments and a picture of the flowers in bloom it is difficult to say exactly what this plant is. It is in the aster family—most likely white panicle aster. They are native and are beneficial to wildlife. They can be weedy at times with so much seed production.
The following websites give more information:
1. https://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/common_panicled_aster_var_lanceolatum.html
2. https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/panicled-aster
3.
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_sylal4.pdf
The following websites give more information:
1. https://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/common_panicled_aster_var_lanceolatum.html
2. https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/panicled-aster
3.
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_sylal4.pdf
