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Plant ID
My wife nicked a cutting of this plant when we were staying at a gite in France and now we are overrun with it springing up everywhere even sprouting from the retaining walls The flower looks like a miniature orchid, very pretty but I think it may well be a weed. I've not seen this plant myself anywhere in the UK. Thanks in advance to anyone who can identify it,
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It does look similar to Himalayan Balsam.
If it is, it's extremely invasive and recommended to get rid asap
But wait until that's confirmed or otherwise
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Himalayan balsam has three leaves around the stem which is quite distinctive. If the seed pods explode at a touch and seeds fly in every direction, that's what you've got. I agree, it's a gorgeous flower, but is out-competing native wild flowers in the countryside. Might be Ok to keep it if you're in a town and nowhere near natural lakes or streams, which are its preferred habitat.
We lived in the city centre in a Victorian terrace ... our neighbour (renting) planted on Himalayan Balsam.. two years later, despite six foot fences and walls we had several in our garden ... and then more and more appeared, and in the next house and the next.
We kept pulling them up whenever we saw them.
The neighbour moved on ... the landlord sprayed and put a membrane and shingle down.
Now, 10 years since the neighbour moved on, most houses in the street have Himalayan Balsam in their gardens ... don't say you've not been warned
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Golly, come back all I said! I knew how easily it spreads but I didn't realise it was so hard to get rid of. The first time I saw it, years ago, I thought how lovely it was and brought home some seeds. I'm glad now I never got round to sowing them.
It's relatively easy to recognise and pull up ... but you only have to miss one and you have hundreds of new plants spread over a wide area the following year.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I believe they are annuals, so if you dispose of them before they self seed, you should be OK.