Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Weeds to identify please

Stephanie newish gardenerStephanie newish gardener Posts: 516
in Plants
Hello
Does anyone know what either of these weeds are please? The one with the big leaves is the one with the taproot that goes halfway to Australia, and the other one is quite pretty - those flowers arebare yellow - and a bit invasive with short but determined roots. A Google hasn't produced anything concrete, or green for that matter! A friend thought the big one could be the angelica family but I'm not so sure. I think it has pink flowers, and it's a damn nuisance!! 
Thanks


No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    The first one is Common Hogweed ... the sort we used to gather to feed our pet rabbits, not the dangerous type. 

    The other is the wild geum, Geum urbanum (Wood avens, Herb bennet). I find that one the biggest pest because of the way it seems about. 

    I quite like the Common Hogweed ... a well grown specimen can rival Angelica   and some of the others in that family which are prized as ornamentals. 

     

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





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Gosh that's early for the Hogweed @Stephanie newish gardener. They're not really appearing here yet. I like it too  :)
    I have a tiny amount of the avens - just outside the boundary at the back. So far, it's stayed there where it can do no harm. It had better not get any ideas though....
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Stephanie newish gardenerStephanie newish gardener Posts: 516
    @Fairygirl, we get them every year (probably because they're perennial? D'oh!) but like true weeds they are mostly in the wrong place. The one (and its multiple neighbours) in the photo are under a lovely variegated weigela so grow far too big for the space, and the one I dug up yesterday is under a dog rose. 
    Not sure if they're out early this year, but it's been warm and dry for so long that I guess they've felt happy to poke their noses up. Like you we are forecast rain and wind and colder temps for the next few days, which of course means that by Monday there'll be dozens more of the things!! 
    No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Indeed @Stephanie newish gardener. They always pick their spots, don't they?  :D

    The cow parsley is still doing it's thing beautifully, but no real sign of any hogweed yet. The bluebells are just going over now, and the wild garlic. There was a lovely little patch along the road from me with parsley, garlic and bluebells. Lovely. 

    The hogweed will probably all appear as if by magic by the weekend after the rain, as you rightly say :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Hogweed has a special talent for growing in the wrong place!
    I like it too and would happily leave it,  in my wild garden, but it always comes up in the middle of a pathway, or in a tiny crack in a wall or right next to a more treasured plant. But I did leave one in a space in my spring garden and it is in flower now, adding a bit of solemnity to what is rather a frothy place at the moment :)
Sign In or Register to comment.