It sounds a lot like garlic mustard, which is in full bloom here right now.
Do a google search and look at some of the pictures. It might not be in the
wildflower guides because it is not a native, rather an escaped/naturalized
invasive brought from Europe in colonial times. Chopping it down will
prevent it from setting seed, which is good, but will not eradicate it. I
pull it from my flower beds, using a big screwdriver/dandelion weeder to
loosen the root first, and ignore/chop it in the marginal rough parts of the
yard. It's only obvious this time of year.
Sue
Zone 6, Southcentral PA
"Kim" wrote in message
...
We've got something growing out back that I'm trying to identify before
chopping it down.
I live in the Northern panhandle of WV. What the plant / flower looks
like:
The plants are currently 1 to 2 feet tall. They have clusters of small
white
flowers, approx. 1/8" in diameter, a few inches from the top of the plant
only.
The flower has 4 petals and yellowish 'centers'. The flowers are either
"arranged" around a bunch of little nubby things, or else the ones I see
now
are not fully flowered out and these are immature flowers that will later
open
up.
The most curious thing about the cluster of flowers I picked off is that
the
central cluster on the top of the stem has little "arms" going up from the
stem
to alongside the flowers. I can only describe the appearance of this as
"looking like a menorah" with the flowers clustered on what would be the
center
"candle" of it.
The leaves are pinnate and have slightly sawtoothed/dagged edges.
I have searched the enature.com database for wildflowers native to my area
(26041) and looked at over 600 photos of wildflowers and found little
white
flowers sort of similar but nothing exactly like it. (Cool site by the
way.
Have a look. I've looked up plants, birds and animals on it so far and
it's
cool!)
Does anyone have any idea what this may be? Weed or wildflower?
--
Kim
"We have done so much with so little for so long that now we can do
anything
with nothing." -- Dave Marcis