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Mystery plants

Hi can I call upon the expertise of the gardeners on this site to help me identify 3 plants.

The first I think may be Yarrow as I grow Achillea and this is similar in that it has pungent foliage and flat-ish yellow flower heads.

The second I have no idea about but it is growing prolifically and I need to know what it is so I know if I should keep it.

The third is a surprise plant that has just appeared and I really rather like and would like to know what it is, I'm assuming it is some kind of thistle maybe, the "buds" are about 1cm in size.

Thank you in hope of your help.

I apologize for the pictures being on their side (I don't know how to change them)

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Posts

  • SwissSueSwissSue Posts: 1,447

    Re Burdock, thought this might interest you!image

    Burdock and Velcro

    After taking his dog for a walk one day in the early 1940s, George de Mestral, a Swiss inventor, became curious about the seeds of the burdock plant that had attached themselves to his clothes and to the dog's fur. Under a microscope, he looked closely at the hook system that the seeds use to hitchhike on passing animals aiding seed dispersal, and he realized that the same approach could be used to join other things together. The result of his studies was Velcro.7]

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    The first is tansy tanecetum vulgare,   I agree the second is Solidago and the third is burdock.

    The solidago is useful in the garden and also great as a filler in flower arranging, but cut it down before it seeds or you'll have it popping up everywhere.

    image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    image  It's the coffee that does it!


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • John33John33 Posts: 1

    New to gardening and would like advise on plants (see pictures). Very strange spikes which buds have now died back leaving long black spikes . Any advise on maintaining would be much appreciated

    https://goo.gl/photos/ohbUVukfg53TeNRm7

    https://goo.gl/photos/L85iBCpmzd4CKgx57

     

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,139

    Hi John and welcome image

    These are the flowers and seeds of phormium aka New Zealand Flax - there are several varieties with different coloured leaves etc.  Most people leave the seedheads on the plant for their stylish and dramatic sculptural effect.

    They're quite tough plants and easy to care for - some information here which I hope is helpful 

    http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/page.cfm?page_ref=how_to_care_for_phormiums


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pansyface you were up with the lark (or rather, the sun) this morning image Thank you and thank you too SwissSue and Dovefromabove, I am always amazed at the knowledge of others, I always look when someone asks for plant identification and sometimes I actually know what the plant isimage but so far I've not been the first to know.

    SwissSue that is really interesting thank you and I can see exactly how that would be true because when I touched the Burdock buds they did feel like velcro, thank you so much for that extra info.

    The Solidago and the Tansy are a bit out of control but now I know what I'm dealing with I can act accordingly.

    Great site and thank you all again and welcome John33 you will get so much help and advice on this siteimage hopefully even from me one day!

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