Gransnet forums

Gardening

What do you reckon to this 'wild flower'

(34 Posts)
BlueBelle Sat 09-Sept-17 19:00:10

This chap has come up in two places and I like it pretty little flower I m sure it's wild and probably presented to me by birds I thought it was maybe a willowherb but in my book it mentions hairy and this leaves and stem is quiet smooth What do you think

BlueBelle Sat 09-Sept-17 19:00:56

Forgot the pic ?

Eglantine19 Sat 09-Sept-17 19:25:19

Oh dear I think this may be the dreaded Himalayan Balsam that is is spreading like wildfire throughout the countryside and choking native plants. Get rid of it now or it will take ver your garden. I would post a link if I knew how but if you Google you will see some clear photos.

Baggs Sat 09-Sept-17 19:50:31

There are quite a few different species of willowherb so I think you might be right on that. Will check my books.

It's not Himalayan Balsam. That looks like this (in the shade but they grow in full sunshine too. Bees love the flowers so I'm not so opposed to it as Imight be otherwise.

Anyhow, biologically speaking all species have been invasive at some point in their evolution so what's new? We worry too much sometimes.

merlotgran Sat 09-Sept-17 19:55:44

Definitely not Himalayan Balsam

merlotgran Sat 09-Sept-17 19:56:31

The leaves are wrong for willow herb.

Baggs Sat 09-Sept-17 20:01:42

Pic of Great Willowherb I took in Derbyshire early August and a couple more of H.balsam

Baggs Sat 09-Sept-17 20:02:39

Yes, the leaves puzzled me a bit too, merlot. They look kind of minty.

Baggs Sat 09-Sept-17 20:03:13

But the flower's wrong for a mint.

Baggs Sat 09-Sept-17 20:04:45

Whatever it is , it's quite nice, Bluebelle.

BlueBelle Sat 09-Sept-17 20:30:33

Thanks Baggs I like it it's pretty I don't think it's invasive there are two very distinct plants but they ve just grown and flowered and don't look as if they have spread the flowers are not like that balsam Tomorrow in the daylight I ll take a close up of the flower and a leaf

MissAdventure Sat 09-Sept-17 20:36:03

I just did a Google search of the image (which I didn't realise I could do) and Google's best guess is the Himalayan balsam.

Elegran Sat 09-Sept-17 20:39:49

It looks as though it has four heart-shaped petals. Is that right?

TriciaF Sat 09-Sept-17 21:18:41

It looks like monkshood but that's usually blue.
I see a lot of it along ditches here.

DanniRae Sat 09-Sept-17 21:23:32

I thought the leaves looked like mint too.

BlueBelle Sat 09-Sept-17 22:06:59

It's definitely not monkshead I know that one and it's definitely not the balsam flower yes Eelegran it has four heart shaped petals
The leaves do look like mint but it isn't mint, wrong flowers and no smell

NfkDumpling Sat 09-Sept-17 22:33:35

Is it in any of your neighbours gardens? Could it be a self seeded cultivated plant?

merlotgran Sat 09-Sept-17 22:36:31

That's what I was wondering, Nfk. The flowers are campanula like but not the leaves.

NfkDumpling Sat 09-Sept-17 22:38:28

My thought too, definitely campanula-ish.

seacliff Sat 09-Sept-17 22:56:51

I think it may be calamint

seacliff Sat 09-Sept-17 23:02:32

What do you think, apparently there are a huge number of different roots of calamint

merlotgran Sat 09-Sept-17 23:05:31

I wondered about calamint. The leaves are right but the flowers are wrong.

Is there a prize? grin

DanniRae Sun 10-Sept-17 09:11:43

It's very pretty whatever it is!

TriciaF Sun 10-Sept-17 10:33:49

In the photo against the wall it looks like long seed pods below the flower on the right. That reminds me of willowherb. I think it's this one:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilobium_hirsutum

BlueBelle Sun 10-Sept-17 15:12:41

The one against the wall isn't my picture Tricia
Here's a couple close ups unfortunately we had a lot of wind and rain last night so it's not looking too perky
There are actually 8 petals which lie to look like four heart shaped petals not so obvious in this photo as they were a bit dashed out of shape