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Weed or just a sucker ?

Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91
in Problem solving
Hi , not asked a question for a while but I need your help to identify what’s growing in an area of my garden. It looks like it might be a sucker as it’s growing from quite thickish roots underground but it seems to be popping up everywhere in the vicinity.
The first large shoot was close to a Sambucus Black Beauty but don’t think it’s that as the fresh green leaves look nothing like the shrub, and the leaves have a nasty smell to them, I know that elders do smell but I think this is different.
 Every few days I find a clump of these shoots and if left they grow fast and tall . Any idea what this mystery plant is growing in my garden? 
If you think you might know what it is I could google it’s image and hopefully identify this pesky thing. Thanks for any help . 

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    If you can't upload a photo, a few possible search terms to try are 'rosebay willowherb', 'ground elder' and 'cherry tree sucker'.
    However, as far as I know, Sambucus 'Black Beauty' is grafted onto common elder (Sambucus nigra) rootstock, so any suckers from that will have ordinary (green, oval, toothed) elderberry leaves, which are rather more pungeant than the leaves of the fancy varieties.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Dilly3Dilly3 Posts: 91
    Thanks very much for your reply Bob , I have taken a photo but can’t seem to work out how to upload it, I’ve done it before but it was easier before the site changed ages ago. 
    The leaves are not toothed they are just smooth edged and the leaves are not opposite each other like the common elder . So still not sure what I’ve got growing. 
    The Sambucus has been in the ground for about 10 years so if it is the source of the suckers why now . 
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