Is this a weed?

Question

I went to rip this up but it has a pretty solid base almost like a tree.

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Answer 1

That sure looks like a hydrangea macrophylla. Pulling won't work; you need to dig it out. As a shrub, it has a well-developed root system. Either a long-handled shovel or a spading fork would be my tool of choice. If you dislike it because it doesn't bloom, know that it is easy to make the mistake of cutting down next year's flower canes. They look like dead leaf stems so it is an understandable mistake. (check images online of hydrangea in winter) Hydrangea have unique pruning rules and those dead-looking stems are leaves and flowers for the coming year.