I have this spiky plant (presumed weed) growing through the tarmac. It was there last year and it stayed about a foot tall. I thought cold winter killed it but instead it started growing with vengeance and is now about 4ft tall. Any ideas what that is?
Spear thistle I'm pretty sure - should have some nice flowers and bee attention soon enough - if you want to keep it, lol! They're hardy as hell, but if you keep cutting it back it will go - you can cut it & cover the hole it grows out of, to block the light.
Thank you @Slow-worm I thought it might be some kind of a thistle but it didn’t flower last year. I’m going to keep it for now. I think it looks good, it’s not on a way and if it’s good for bees, then it’s a keeper (for the time being anyway!)
@Oliya I can see a beauty in your thistle although I wouldn't touch it without gloves. We need to look at a plants and think it green, it's doing well as a top criteria. Yellow lawns, plants with mildew, aphids, all stressed by weather. Why fight it when nature produces a lovely shiny green plant. When it seeds, which it will , there will be many more also in a lovely shade of green. Whlist other prized plants that have received lots of loving care look sad.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
I used to feed my horses milk thistle seeds, so the muckheap sprouted loads of them, they were really pretty - and I had free seeds. 😃 (They're good for us too!).
I love thistles and I always leave a few. But I learned my lesson about letting them grow near borders. They multiply and are a nightmare to dig out. Now I only let them be if they're not near somewhere I want to "manage".
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I’m going to keep it for now. I think it looks good, it’s not on a way and if it’s good for bees, then it’s a keeper (for the time being anyway!)
When it seeds, which it will , there will be many more also in a lovely shade of green. Whlist other prized plants that have received lots of loving care look sad.
I'm glad you're keeping it. 😊
I used to feed my horses milk thistle seeds, so the muckheap sprouted loads of them, they were really pretty - and I had free seeds. 😃 (They're good for us too!).