I agree it's a teasel - a friend gave me one last year - a lovely plant, particularly the seed head which is liked by both flower arrangers and birds. I had hoped I would get self-sown seedlings this year but none have appeared.
They seem to germinate freely along a walking route near us on a disused railway !!!! Such are the vagaries of nature !!!
I bought one a few years ago & hoped it had self seeded. It had, in a crack in the drive. I've brought a couple home from the lotty. The bees absolutely loved it. I watched one going round & round for over an hour. They can be a nuisance but any not required are easily pulled out.
I grew one last year from a small plant. It ended up 7ft tall! The birds and bees loved it, but I have seedings coming up in my lawn, dozens of them, also in between the slabs on the patio. It must have been from when I cut it down at the end of the season. I thought the seeds had all been eaten but obviously not!
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It's a teasel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipsacus Could it have come from some wild bird seed or wildflower mix of seeds?
I'm struggling to get some to germinate in my garden
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I agree it's a teasel - a friend gave me one last year - a lovely plant, particularly the seed head which is liked by both flower arrangers and birds. I had hoped I would get self-sown seedlings this year but none have appeared.
They seem to germinate freely along a walking route near us on a disused railway !!!! Such are the vagaries of nature !!!
I bought one a few years ago & hoped it had self seeded. It had, in a crack in the drive
. I've brought a couple home from the lotty. The bees absolutely loved it. I watched one going round & round for over an hour. They can be a nuisance but any not required are easily pulled out.
I grew one last year from a small plant. It ended up 7ft tall! The birds and bees loved it, but I have seedings coming up in my lawn, dozens of them, also in between the slabs on the patio. It must have been from when I cut it down at the end of the season. I thought the seeds had all been eaten but obviously not!
Thanks every one.