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Plant ID
This has suddenly sprung up all over my garden - any idea what it is?! Leaves are similar shape to bindweed, but larger and more shiny with a veined appearance. It's cup-like rather than being flat, and the leaf narrows into the soil rather than being on a stem like bindweed. Next to ivy for scale.
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It's the Wild Arum, also known as Cuckoo Pint, Lords & Ladies, Jack in the Pulpit and lots of other names. A fascinating and beautiful plant which catches insects to pollinate it's amazing flowers. You may have seen its gorgeous red berries in the autumn.
The berries are poisonous, so don't allow small children to play around them, and make sure that older children know not to touch them.
As children we used to dissect the flowers to see the insects inside and we never came to any harm - we knew that we had to wash our hands afterwards.
It can be a nuisance in some gardens as it spreads and is difficult to eradicate, but in a 'wild garden' or woodland setting it's beautiful.
Interesting information here http://www.wildarum.co.uk/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
They taste very acrid and bitter (apparently!) so I doubt that your dog would eat enough to do himself any harm.
They have little bulbs on the roots which spread - try bruising the leaves then using glyphosate - it'll give them a good knockback at least.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A few years ago I must have got seeds of the arum in my compost and subsequently had them popping up all over the garden.
3 years later, I'm winning the battle.
As Dove suggests glyphosphate may help, but they need to be growing well, before using it on them.
TBH I found the best way is just keep hoeing the tops off and remove any litle white bulblets you find..
The tiny bulblets will send up leaves from over 1ft below the surface.
Very tricky to eradicate, just be persistent
Good luck!
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I find if you get hold of the whole thing, and tug, it comes away clean . Not the bulb, but it certainly weakens them.
If you decide to let any produce those handsome red berries, remember to remove and dispose of the whole fruiting stem well before the berries start to go over and fall otherwise you will have hundreds of them popping-up nearby. I think the gernination rate must be close to 100% and each berry has lots of seeds..