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Gardening

Is this a weed? ....

(34 Posts)
Luckygirl3 Sat 22-Apr-23 20:46:18

......... it is rather large and has a mate and is right in the middle of my raised bed!

MaizieD Wed 26-Apr-23 09:44:49

If you let it seed it will take over your garden, though it's easy to pull up when young as it develops quite long roots when older. Personally I wouldn't encourage it in any way grin

I'm a bit suspicious of the assertion that it's biennial, the stuff that grows around my place (despite my annual eradication attempts) flowers in its first year.

Esmay Wed 26-Apr-23 09:11:25

Don't eat anything that you've foraged unless you are really sure that it's harmless .

I'd take an expert !

Esmay Wed 26-Apr-23 09:08:11

You can eat it .
It becomes less bitter when cooked .
It's best to eat young plants as older ones contain poison .

Garlic mustard can't be given to dogs .

I haven't tried it .

I do like nettles though .

Recently , I tried dandelion leaves - if you endive you might like them - I didn't !

PiscesLady Sun 23-Apr-23 13:04:27

I have an app on my mobile for plant identification. I use LeafSnap. Having put the photo on the app, it agrees with the ID of Garlic Mustard and gives other alternative names for the plant.

Daisymae Sun 23-Apr-23 11:32:32

It's growing in the verges here so it's definitely a weed. Funnily enough I was just thinking yesterday that it's quite attractive but you might be overrun if you leave it!

Kalu Sun 23-Apr-23 11:06:40

BlueBelle

Ahh so looking it up online there seems a variety of different wild garlic This is what mine looks like
Obviously mines not like your photo always been told it was wild garlic and it’s a strong garlic smell
I m still alive 😂😂😂

As Casdon says, that is garlic chives or Syboes as we call it in Scotland, from the spring onion family.not as strong tasting as wild garlic. I have a clump of it along with ordinary chives and use one or the other finely chopped in salads or sprinkled over new potatoes.

Luckygirl3 Sun 23-Apr-23 10:41:53

Just looked up I-Spy books online - they do still exist and seem to be published jointly by Collins and Michelin.

Callistemon21 Sun 23-Apr-23 10:15:02

BlueBelle

Ahh so looking it up online there seems a variety of different wild garlic This is what mine looks like
Obviously mines not like your photo always been told it was wild garlic and it’s a strong garlic smell
I m still alive 😂😂😂

Yours looks like cultivated garlic.

I've never had much luck growing it, yours looks good!

Germanshepherdsmum Sun 23-Apr-23 10:13:19

I get garlic mustard growing every year in the wild part of my garden. I don’t think I’ll try eating it!

Callistemon21 Sun 23-Apr-23 10:13:09

Luckygirl3

Ah ... the wonderful I-Spy books! Do they still exist?

I don't know, but they were wonderful, weren't they!!

What a pity that children don't seem to use them now, they could be observing the world around them instead of gazing downwards at their phones.

Luckygirl3 Sun 23-Apr-23 10:10:20

Ah ... the wonderful I-Spy books! Do they still exist?

Nandalot Sun 23-Apr-23 09:45:41

It’s definitely Jack by the Hedge, which I have learnt from this thread today is also called Garlic Mustard.
I remember it from my childhood days when we used to roam the fields, and I had the I spy Observer book of Wild Flowers. ((Remember those!) Not only did I tick them all off. I used to press and example and attaché it to the relevant page.

Luckygirl3 Sun 23-Apr-23 09:32:32

The garlic leaves are very different - and the plant is low to the ground - the weed I have is over 2 feet tall. Certainly no garlic smell. I will resist the temptation to eat it!

Casdon Sun 23-Apr-23 07:50:06

BlueBelle

I think you’re right Casdon ahh well live and learn we just call it wild garlic, all these years been wrong eh

BlueBelle I recognised it because I’ve got some, it’s really nice chopped up with rice dishes and salads.

BlueBelle Sun 23-Apr-23 07:30:56

I think you’re right Casdon ahh well live and learn we just call it wild garlic, all these years been wrong eh

Casdon Sun 23-Apr-23 06:42:55

BlueBelle

Ahh so looking it up online there seems a variety of different wild garlic This is what mine looks like
Obviously mines not like your photo always been told it was wild garlic and it’s a strong garlic smell
I m still alive 😂😂😂

That looks like garlic chives BlueBelle.

BlueBelle Sun 23-Apr-23 06:30:47

Ahh so looking it up online there seems a variety of different wild garlic This is what mine looks like
Obviously mines not like your photo always been told it was wild garlic and it’s a strong garlic smell
I m still alive 😂😂😂

Sarah75 Sun 23-Apr-23 01:55:02

Wild garlic makes good pesto……

Callistemon21 Sat 22-Apr-23 23:06:08

Try again

Callistemon21 Sat 22-Apr-23 23:05:41

BlueBelle

Definitely not wild garlic that has a really long skinny leaf

Wild garlic for comparison:

Nana3 Sat 22-Apr-23 23:01:42

I know it as Jack by the hedge. It's a lovely wild flower.

Callistemon21 Sat 22-Apr-23 22:55:05

Wisefalcon

Are the flowers yellowish in colour? If so yes it is mustard garlic. If they are white, I think it is wild garlic.

If you scrunch the knaves and smell them, that will at least confirm it is garlic.

Yes, it looks like garlic mustard.

I saw a pretty pale pink flower along verges in the countryside today, not one I'd noticed before in such profusion.
Could it be cuckooflower? Is it on the increase?

We couldn't stop to take a photo.

Callistemon21 Sat 22-Apr-23 22:49:38

BlueBelle

Definitely not wild garlic that has a really long skinny leaf

Yes, it has.

Don't eat it unless you're sure.
If you do decide to eat it, please keep posting .....

BlueBelle Sat 22-Apr-23 22:42:37

Definitely not wild garlic that has a really long skinny leaf

Kalu Sat 22-Apr-23 22:26:50

Yes, garlic mustard. An invasive thug with traces of cyanide but it is edible. Lovely in salads.