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Is this a weed?

SplandySplandy Posts: 161
in Plants
Is it a weed or just a ground cover plant? Thanks.
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  • SplandySplandy Posts: 161
    Oops, hang on, picture isn't visible!
  • SplandySplandy Posts: 161

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    That looks like Gallium odoratum aka Sweet Woodruff , an essential ingredient of the German spring punch called Maibowle and jellies and other sweet dishes.

    Good in dry shade ... can spread a bit but is easily controlled
     

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • SplandySplandy Posts: 161
    Thank you. And are the smaller, darker green plants to the right of the photo just new shoots of this plant?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Can’t see them very clearly but yes, I think so. 

    Itll have pretty little white flowers later on. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    Dovefromabove said:
    Good in dry shade ... can spread a bit but is easily controlled
     
    Not on heavy clay it can't! At least we never managed it :(
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    It's beginning to spread. And yes, the smaller green small ones on the right in your photo are new shoots. Watch them out!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    MIL grows it on lovely black fenland peaty loam and as I said, it spreads but not uncontrollably. 

    We have it under a large ash tree on freedraining gritty loam it’s been there 4/5 years and while the clump is spreading gently I’ve not had to weed any out yet. 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I have cleavers as a weed and it looks like that. It grows rapidly and smothers plants if I don't get it out fast enough.
  • Mike AllenMike Allen Posts: 208
    Botanically it's a plant.  To most gardeners it's a pest, a weed.  Get rid of it.
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