I love comphreys. The big one, officinalis, grows beside my pond,not much else will due to very variable water levels. The blue one has a corner where it can grow without escaping and the little early white one is on another pond bank. The bees are very pleased, especially with the early one.
The leaves look a bit wide and light coloured to me Auntiemaud.
didn't realise I could click and enlarge pictures - Yes, you are correct Nutcutlet. Mine are very vigorous but on seeing the pics up close I don't think that's what they are. Apologies for getting it wrong.
Wow so many responses here! Sorry to be so late replying, got busy yesterday and didnt find the time to get back on here.
It does seem that my plant a) is indeed Symphytum ibericum. And yes it can be a little invasive and grows rapidly however I've no aversion to it. Where it grows in my garden it covers half of an almost impossible to plant in banked area and as I'm a busy lady, I love the fact that it just gets on with it and doesn't need a lot of attention. How its quite so hardy I don't know, since we've lived there its had it all, frost, ice, snow, rain and lots of it and gale force winds and yet it still just does its thing. Its not a plant I would ever have chosen myself, but its working well where it is so I'll happily leave it, cut it back once a year and see how it goes. I especially don't want to uproot it as the bumble bees really do love it!
Plant b will be dug up and relocated early next spring when it starts to poke back through again and hopefully then it will flower.
Thank you all again so much for your help, Heather x
Posts
I love comphreys. The big one, officinalis, grows beside my pond,not much else will due to very variable water levels. The blue one has a corner where it can grow without escaping and the little early white one is on another pond bank. The bees are very pleased, especially with the early one.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Could the second be three cornered leek? We are over run with it here but it does make good eating - check if broken leaves smell garlicky.
Agree re comfrey.
The leaves look a bit wide and light coloured to me Auntiemaud.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Fine thanks Ryan, glad you are too. Sound like your very busy!
didn't realise I could click and enlarge pictures
- Yes, you are correct Nutcutlet. Mine are very vigorous but on seeing the pics up close I don't think that's what they are. Apologies for getting it wrong.
Don't apologise Auntiemaud. That's how these plants get IDd. Lots of ideas are thrown in and mostly we come to some sort of conclusion
But sometimes we don't.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Wow so many responses here! Sorry to be so late replying, got busy yesterday and didnt find the time to get back on here.
It does seem that my plant a) is indeed Symphytum ibericum. And yes it can be a little invasive and grows rapidly however I've no aversion to it. Where it grows in my garden it covers half of an almost impossible to plant in banked area and as I'm a busy lady, I love the fact that it just gets on with it and doesn't need a lot of attention. How its quite so hardy I don't know, since we've lived there its had it all, frost, ice, snow, rain and lots of it and gale force winds and yet it still just does its thing. Its not a plant I would ever have chosen myself, but its working well where it is so I'll happily leave it, cut it back once a year and see how it goes. I especially don't want to uproot it as the bumble bees really do love it!
Plant b will be dug up and relocated early next spring when it starts to poke back through again and hopefully then it will flower.
Thank you all again so much for your help, Heather x