Plant identity

Question: I'd like to find out what this plant is and if it is an invasive or poisonous.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 20, 2024, 7:09 PM EDT
response: The plant is 5ft tall or higher. It's flowers are very fragrant and butterflies and bees seem to love it. And the blooms turn pinkish as they age.

responder: Happy Gardening, Jessica, UVM Extension Master Gardener Programwww.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardenerWe do not intend to endorse any products we mention or criticize products we do not mention. When we include a link to a resource that recommends a chemical, it is for informational purposes only; the chemicals may not be registered for use in Vermont.  Replied June 21, 2024, 12:26 PM EDT
response: Hello Mary Kay, Thank you for reaching out to the EMG Helpline to inquire about your mystery plant - I love a good mystery!   After examining your photos, and assuming I looked at the leaves that belong to this flowering plant, I suspect you could have something in the aster family. Narrowing it down a bit, it could possibly be a type of valerian. There is the common valerian as well as the marsh valerian found in Vermont. Here are some plant profiles on these two plants: Valeriana officinalis (common valerian): Go Botany (nativeplanttrust.org) Valeriana uliginosa (marsh valerian): Go Botany (nativeplanttrust.org) You have a lot of greenery in your photos! if you can share a close up of the leaves (to make sure I am looking at the right one) as well as a close up of the flowers, I can continue researching the question.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 21, 2024, 12:53 PM EDT
response: Hi,I did look it up on my phone app "Plant Net" and it was identified as valeriana officianalis. But I'm still concerned.   This is the leaf. Also, the plant is quite tall. 5 to 6 feet. The flowers are very fragrant and butterflies and bees seem to love it. It was one plant last year and now is multiple plants (hence the worry that it's an invasive or poisonous). The flowers seem to turn a pinkish hue as   they age. And it looks like is has a hollow stem   Sent from AOL on Android  On Fri, Jun 21, 2024 at 12:26 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Happy Gardening, Jessica, UVM Extension Master Gardener Programwww.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardenerWe do not intend to endorse any products we mention or criticize products we do not mention. When we include a link to a resource that recommends a chemical, it is for informational purposes only; the chemicals may not be registered for use in Vermont.  Replied June 21, 2024, 1:56 PM EDT
response: Hello Mary Kay,  Thank you for the close-up photo of the flowers and for confirming that I was looking at the right leaves in the photo. I do believe that this could be common valerian. Here's a helpful factsheet:  PEI Invasive Species Council - Common Valerian.  A few key pieces of information: Grows 1.5 - 5' tallFlowers are white or pale pink, fragrant and very sweet smellingBlooms June - AugustSpreads vigorously by self-seeding and aerial stolons Back to your original questions - if this plant identification is correct, it will spread quickly as you have observed. The fact sheet copied above has some great tips for manual control, which focus on removal prior to setting seed and removing all plant rhizomes. Valerian is used in herbal medicine, but should not be used without the consultation of a physician before use.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 21, 2024, 2:12 PM EDT
response: Awesome, thank you.Sent from AOL on Android  On Fri, Jun 21, 2024 at 1:56 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote: