The Lemon Fool

I have been trying to find what this is:


There are some patches of it which must have been planted by a contractor, such as outside the fire station, but it also seems to grow happily as a self seeded weed from a crack in the pavement.

It flowers for a long time, and can obviously get by with little or no care, but I haven't been able to find it in a garden centre, or books.

I can post a closer view of the flowers if that would help.

kiloran wrote: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6126#p64663

To repeat - it's Red Valerian.

Also available in white https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/93520/i-c ... us/details

Breelander wrote:

kiloran wrote: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6126#p64663

To repeat - it's Red Valerian.

...and as they say It can cause a great deal of damage to walls which we know from personal experience, the Wall damage image provided over there reminded me we should consider doing something about the stuff!

Best not planted near masonry then, although the biggest clumps I seen were planted in raised beds with a retaining wall all round. The seeds look well adapted for wind dispersion however, in the manner of thistles or dandelions, so perhaps not where garden paths are anywhere near.

Several interesting plants to be found in nearby woods. A few I have identified as Japanese knotweed, and bamboo and even a magnolia, but another with large rhubarb shaped leaves, (but not rhubarb) will probably have to wait until it flowers.

but another with large rhubarb shaped leaves, (but not rhubarb) will probably have to wait until it flowers.

Gunnera?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnera

John

Strewth!
It ain't as big as that yet!

I hadn't checked the board for a while as further answers seemed unlikely.

I had another look at it on Sunday when testing some mapping software with a homemade map of paths in the woods.

The leaf edges were less ragged.

Should have taken a picture at the time but didn't, as there was still no sign of a flower, or even a bud. I suppose it could even be biennial, which would be annoying.

New owners of the woods seem to be "doing things" to them, so perhaps I should take a picture anyway in case it becomes impossible later.

madhatter wrote: but another with large rhubarb shaped leaves, (but not rhubarb) will probably have to wait until it flowers.

Try looking up burdock. A biennial, has a rosette of rhubarb-shaped leaves first year, flowering stem second year.

The "sticky" seed-heads were the inspiration for velcro!

The burdock leaf certainly looks like as I remember it. It is in a few largish clumps with none of the plants showing any signs of flowers or burrs, so if it is a biennial, all the plants are in the same year.

I will have to take a picture. It is in a fairly gloomy part of the woods at this time of year but I took a pretty good picture of some fast moving wood ants (big and stroppy) in another wood a few days ago so the camera should be good for some leaves.

Back to the woods for another go at odd plant. Still just leaves, no sign of a bud.

Stems and leaves feel hairy, stems thinner in proportion to leaf than in rhubarb, but similar cross section (maybe more elongated) and green. Plants in a few areas 10 to 15 feet across.

In the picture is one of the larger leaves and the paper is A4. I tried adding a vetch as well as the meadow it is on looks like being ploughed up shortly.

http://imgur.com/a/4hhlk

Rats! Epic fail with vetch. I've an idea it would have had a different URL which I failed to note.

Leaves didn't show up inline either. I meant to add that the tallest was still not much over a foot.

I think the leaves shown in your pic are probably butterbur. Supposedly gets it name because they were used to wrap butter!

The leaves are certainly the right shape, and its description fits. My books tell me that it can be up to 36 inches across!
The lack of flowers is a problem though, as they should have flowered from March to May and that was when I first saw them and there was no flowers then, and no sign of any dead ones now.
No mention of it being biennial but if it is a butterbur then I should see the leaves getting a lot bigger later in the season anyway even without the flowers.

Going back to the original plant on this thread, I was a bit dubious about claims of damage by valerian as I have been growing it for years without a problem. Until yesterday that is, when I noticed this damage to my next-door neighbour's wall. Probably self-seeded from my plants, think I'll keep quiet about that!

http://imgur.com/a/NZi6G

malkymoo wrote:Going back to the original plant on this thread, I was a bit dubious about claims of damage by valerian as I have been growing it for years without a problem. Until yesterday that is, when I noticed this damage to my next-door neighbour's wall. Probably self-seeded from my plants, think I'll keep quiet about that!
http://imgur.com/a/NZi6G

I have a lot of it growing in walls, on walls, and in gaps in patios. Seems to love cement or cement's run off as confirmed by http://www.thebritishgardener.com/2013/ ... ruber.html

To get the best from this perennial, site it in full sun and keep the soil pH a little high by adding some lime. It often naturalizes itself along old walls and close to the foundations of a house where the leaching of lime from concrete keeps the soil sweet. Don't feel tempted to overly enrich the soil or use a heavy hand with fertilizer. This is a plant prefers the 'treat it mean, keep it keen' approach.