Box Turtle Weed

[Len B]

I have no idea what this weed is, but when I was young if I wanted a box turtle I could go to a patch of these weeds and find one, I found my first hatchling box turtles in these weeds. They grew on the edge of an old unused dirt road behind the house where I grew up. I hadn't thought about this particular weed for years until this plant started growing on the edge of my yard, so when cutting the grass I would cut around it, but it really started to stand out so I dug it and potted it with plans on putting it in the box turtle pen this winter, at first I didn't think it was going to make it, it went completely limp and looked terrible, I kept the soil wet and in the shade and it came back. I am kind of excited about finding a weed that I first saw over 50 years ago and forgot about it over time. They do not eat this weed but sure like to hide in it. Anyone ever see this weed growing anywhere ?

 

[Teodora'sDAD]

yup- that appears to me to be ragweed.

 

[txturtle13]

I think that's Ragweed too, see if you think so:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/weeds/Pages/profile_ragweed.aspx

And interestingly enough, I googled "box turtles ragweed" and found a 90 page Masters thesis on "The Nesting Ecology of the Eastern Box Turtle..." By Rebecca Lynn Kip. It mentions that ragweed, and even provision ivy are often sites for nesting. Very interesting!

I guess box turtles don't get itchy


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