Rhubarb is In; Mystery Plants?

Over the last two weeks, we've bought a couple of rhubarb plants at the Sakonnet Growers Market. $4 -- you can't beat it. We've wanted rhubarb for years knowing that it will take a few seasons before you can really harvest (you just can't beat strawberry-rhubarb pie and jam from scratch!). We put the plants in a new area of the yard close to the raised beds; cut back some low-hanging branches for even more sun. Tons of compost in the holes. Now we wait.


OK, now for the mystery plants. First up, the Mystery Squash (at least it looks squash-ish). This was one of four plants to pop up out of the compost (didn't get hot enough to kill the seeds). Look at that "tail" coming off of it! Wish I had a trellis! See the fruit? Any idea what it's going to be?



Finally, the bane of my existence: This weed. You see it everywhere around here, especially on the sides of roads. It has crept -- more like assaulted -- this side of our yard. In a simple way, it reminds me of a spreading bamboo; it spreads via rhizomes under the ground. It grows 10+ feet high. No matter how much I pull the shoots or dig out the root 'balls', this thing keeps coming back with vengence. Not to be stymied, I've planted the pumpkin patch here hoping to drown it out. I pull dozens of shoots every day, trying to give the pumpkins a fighting chance.


Does anyone know what this is and how to eradicate it?