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seedlings growing on disturbed soil, good or bad guys

berardeberarde Posts: 147
in Plants
I am in a new garden and had a dead tree and a brutal, wild spirea taken out. Seedlings and small plants are appearing, I guess seeds brought to the surface and now germinating. Plant ID app thinks one is lemon balm but I think it is too spreading in habit and the bruised leaf smell is unpleasant. there are a lot of these 
The more ferny- foliaged one is given as a solanum on the app, just a few of these though.

I did sow some foxglove seed and globe thistle but I don't think either of these seedlings look like either of those plants.

You never know what is going to appear when taking over a garden.

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  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    The top photo, the ferny one, is a tomato seedling, I think.  If you brush the leaves they smell just like tomato fruit.  (Tomato's botanical name is Solanum lycopersicum, by the way, so the app is on the right lines!)  The plant in the other 2 pictures (I think they're both the same), which smells nasty, could be deadnettle - if it spreads underground with thick white roots, and has square stems, then that's the beastie.  Difficult to get rid of, because it grows from any bits of root you leave behind.  
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    edited July 2023
    I think the first looks like a tomato too. Second could be woundwort, Stacey’s sylvaticus or hedge nettle, leaves have a musty smell like a salvia smell that’s “gone off”. I quite like it as a flower, spikes are a soft purple-pink, but it does spread. 

    I’ve never noticed that deadnettle smells, must pop out and have a sniff. I let it grow and quite like the flowers, it isn’t a problem here but then I’ve got lots of thugs so maybe it’s just less thuggish than the others
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I agree that the 2nd one is Woundwort. Our garden in  Norfolk was full of it when we bought the cottage 5 years ago.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I agree - a tomato and one of the dead nettles. I've never noticed a smell either, but I struggle with scent anyway. 
    There's another little tomato seedling to the left of it too. Not likely to get any toms from them unfortunately, as it's too late for them to grow big enough   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    edited July 2023
    You should be able to smell Woundwort @Fairygirl, it gets right up my nose, most unpleasant, not like ordinary lamiums. Not a lamium, related to mint.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I have some in the garden, and I was in deadheading behind it yesterday - no scent that I noticed, and I was leaning over them as well as moving them out of my way!

    I have to be right up close to the sweet peas to smell them. It's something that's definitely got more noticeable as I've got older though. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    2 isn't Dead-nettle , Hedge Woundwort seems likely as suggested above


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Ah - thanks for that clarification @nutcutlet. I went out and had a look [and a sniff!]  - I definitely have sonething different. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Definitely Woundwort,  I can smell it as soon as I go into the garden,  I know I should be keeping but 🤮
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    That’s interesting @Lyn, I only notice the smell if I brush the leaves or am right up close when weeding
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
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