If you have a seedling in a moist, shady area, you can ignore other, similar plants that are usually found in dry, sunny spaces. For example, a seedling with narrow, upright leaves in full sun could be a bearded iris, but a similar plant in shade would be a Siberian iris or other species, but never a bearded iris.t's always useful to know what a plant looks like in its first stages so that you can either pull it out before it gets established or leave it to flourish your garden.