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ID of plant growing EVERYWHERE!
Roxanne Blanton
Posts: 4
We moved into our new home in September and the garden was a bit of a wasteland. Rubble & rubbish everywhere. I cleaned it up, dug it all over, sowed grass seed and created some borders and a rockery. Very pleased with the end result, BUT there is this random plant that keeps growing literally all over my garden now, in the grass, in the rockery, everywhere. When I dig it up it seems like its sprouting from old choped up roots (I guess left in the ground from when I dug it all over?). Here are some pictures...
Can anyone identify it for me please? It is a pest or should I let it grow? Will it look nice or not? Also need to know if its poisonous or anything as I have a little boy who loves to play in the garden. Thanks in advance!
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Posts
Bay Willow Herb? Lots of different types. They spring up all over our garden too. They can be spread by the wind. The flowers ate pink & the seeds head looks like cfluffy cottonwool.
I'm not sure of its name, but I've seen it around alot. Try this to identify it
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/weedlf.htm#stem
I thought it looked like the purple loosesstrife?
Hace you seen it flower?
It is Rosebay Willowherb known in the US as Fireweed. Not poisonous but is a bit of a pest. Easy to pull up the plants to control it.
If it is rosebay willowherb then it's a beautiful plant evn if it is everywhere!
Definitely rosebay willowherb. Quite attractive spires of pinky purple flowers in late summer, but a real nuisance if you ever let it seed. Worth digging up when you spot it because it's quite large and will squash other plants.
Seeds are very lightweight & can blow in from any waste ground/railway banks nearby.
I end up nuturing the odd plant most years until I realise! J.
Brilliant! Thank you all so much for the info! As it grows quite tall I am going to dig it out of the lawn but leave it at the bottom and sides of the garden where I am also growing little patches of wild flowers so it should fit in quite nicely! To stop it spreading do I just dead head it before it turns to the fluffy seeds? Also, will it come back next year or would I have to let it spread some seeds?
And if you're lucky you may get elephant hawk moths laying their eggs on it - beautiful!
I'd dead had it to stop it seeding. It will come back from the same roots next year, so you don't need to let it seed.
i would love some of this plant.. i like anything that encourages wildlife in.. and my boys loves butterflies and moths.. so be great.. if it can control as stated and not let it seed then i be happy with it.