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Is this a weed?
jo_louise79
Posts: 3
Hello this is my first post and am hoping someone can identify the attached image? Should I be pulling it out or is it a plant?
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It looks like a sweet pea to me jo_louise.
Looks like a perennial sweet pea, or an annual one which has seeded from the previous year possibly.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It's perennial (or everlasting) pea, Lathyrus latifolius. They come back every year. Keep it if you like it or cut it down if you don't. They can get a bit messy and climb all over other plants and shrubs but I'd sooner have one than not.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/9853/i-Lathyrus-latifolius-i/Details
Ok thank you, it must've come from next door as I've never planted sweet peas. I could try and tie it to a pole but it seems to snap easily ?
Thanks Bob, maybe I'll get a trellis and train it up that? It just lying on top of other plants (and weeds) at the moment, but I'll keep it as it's all clay soil so Im happy if anything grows!
The stems do become quite brittle as they age, so it can be tricky to tie them in without breaking them.
Not that I've ever done that of course.....
If you can get some trellis in, that would do - but perhaps a freestanding obelisk or even just a tripod of canes would be better if you have other planting around. It could be difficult to get in and secure trellis properly without damaging other planting. You'd still need to guide stems towards the support, whichever one you try.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think you're right Fairy... a tripod of canes and some string woven around it to give the sweet pea a framework to scramble on and cling to ... much easier and less damaging to other plants at this stage of the year
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.