Rhomboid Mercury; Weed or Rockstar?

 Note from the Author: This plant has never been covered on the blog before.

I bet looking at this photo you're probably thinking 'wait I've seen that!' It's pretty common in the southeast and not exactly the worst of the weeds you deal with.

Note the flower calyxes near where the leaf petioles attach to the main stem. That's about as showy as this one gets.

Because this plant drops seeds in threes they tend to come up in clusters as seen here.

 

Common Name: Rhomboid Mercury

 

Other Common Names: Three-Seeded Mercury, Copperleaf, Virginia Three-seed Mercury

 

Botanical Family: Euphorbiaceae (The Poinsettia Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Acalypha rhomboidea

 

Description & Habitat:  This plant is often seen in the urban landscape appearing in potted plants, garden beds and other sites with disturbed soil. It is an annual and tends to come up enmasse in groups  The references to three seeds in its common names are because it’s seeds have a capsule with three lobes each containing a single seed. Rhomboid Mercury is native to North America, and its seeds are eaten by wild birds such as Mourning Doves and Greater Prairie Chickens, Deer are also known to eat this plant. The Rhomboid part of its name comes from the shape of its leaves which are borne in alternate arrangement and have a lanceolate to ovate shape which resembles a rhomboid shape. Its flowers are inconspicuous but the Calyxes around them have a deeply serrated margin making them showier than the flowers despite being the same color green as the rest of the plant. It is noted that in areas where group 2 herbicides have been used regularly this plant due to its resistance can become a problem.

 

Special Toxicity Note:  This is not a plant you want to try and eat, it is mildly poisonous and can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

 

When & What to Harvest: This plant is not edible.

 

Related Plants: Virginia Copper Leaf (Acalypha virginica), Jacob’s Coat/ Copperleaf (A. wilkesiana), the former is a very similar plant common next door in Virginia, the latter is a plant often sold in nurseries and is the colorful cultivated cousin.

 

Recipe:  This plant is not edible.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://extension.psu.edu/virginia-three-seed-mercury-are-they-a-weed-or-a-wildflower

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acalypha-rhomboidea/

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acalypha-wilkesiana/

 

 

Where to get Seed or Bare Root Plants:

Not applicable.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

 

Fresh Produce:

Figs, Magnolia

Peppers, Banana Drop Hybrid

 

Summer Vegetables:

Nightshade Greens, Gbognome

Nightshade Greens, West African Njama

 

Autumn Vegetables:

Collards ‘Green Glaze’

 

Herbs:

Chives

Egyptian Onions

 

Flowers:

Flowering Tobacco

 

Plants Coming Soon:

TBA

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (2): Nasturtiums, Hyssop Blooper (short outtake vid)

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is August 23^rd at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.