What is this bush/tree/plant?

[gentlegreen]

A bee orchid, isn't it??

Even with my glasses on I had to look really close to check it wasn't just a bee on a flower.

 

[mr steev]

Has anyone got an idea what this strange thing is that's appeared in my garden?
It started off as an alien looking spikey stalk like this



Then a couple of weeks ago it went a bit crazy



and looks like it's going to flower

 

[Leafster]

It looks like it could be some kind of Euphorbia but I have no idea which!

ETA: I think it might be this one: Euphorbia Lathyris

 

[mr steev]

It looks like it could be some kind of Euphorbia but I have no idea which!

ETA: I think it might be this one: Euphorbia Lathyris

Cheers.

Yeah, I just did a quick google of Euphorbia's and that's what it looks like... quite poisonous, so probably not the best thing to have growing around a 2 year old!

 

[geminisnake]

There are a lot of plants that are poisonous. Do you have daffodils in the garden?? The foliage is highly toxic so keep an eye on the wee one while they're out there if you do.

 

[gentlegreen]

Caper spurge. Not the right sort to put on your pasta !
And you may want to wear gloves if you're handling it. (caustic sap)

I like Euphorbias though - surreal greeny yellow bracts.

I must sow some castor oil plants next year ....

.. though ricin has been hyped up so much it gives me the willies just handling the seeds.

 

[Leafster]

Caper spurge. Not the right sort to put on your pasta !
And you may want to wear gloves if you're handling it. (caustic sap)

I like Euphorbias though - surreal greeny yellow bracts.

I must sow some castor oil plants next year ....

.. though ricin has been hyped up so much it gives me the willies just handling the seeds.

I like Euphorbias too! They come in a huge range of varieties from things like Lathyris and pointsettia through to almost cactus-like plants.

I've got a Euphorbia amygdaloides Purpurea growing in the garden like this:

... and as my "Crown of Thorns" had outgrown its pot indoors I've optimistically put it in the garden.

I'm pretty sure it won't cope with a winter but I've got a couple more indoors still.

 

[gentlegreen]

Now you've reminded me it's time to get myself another Crown of Thorns - so cheerful.

I was a bit disappointed to find out that poinsettias don't actually have toxic sap.

 

[kabbes]

Those euphorbia thingies are right fuckers to get to stop growing out of places you don't want them to grow.

 

[Maurice Picarda]

Those euphorbia thingies are right fuckers to get to stop growing out of places you don't want them to grow.

Armpits?

 

[kabbes]

Armpits?

Right Guard? Right This Way Please Mr Euphorbia, more like.

 

[Will2403]

Finished giving my tree/bush a haircut today... it's only taken about a year. But what is it???

 

[Will2403]

i think it's an improvement

 

[gentlegreen]

No idea what the bush was/is from this distance, but I think I spy a lot of golden rod (solidago) in the bed in front of it ..

 

[quimcunx]

What do you think these are meant to be?

 

[gentlegreen]

I see a rose, and sunflowers for a start, perhaps some maize ...

 

[quimcunx]

I don't really need so much help with roses and sunflowers...

Just googled maize and I don't think so.

 

[fogbat]

Finished giving my tree/bush a haircut today... it's only taken about a year. But what is it???

View attachment 15915

View attachment 15916

I think it's a rotary washing line, Will.

 

[geminisnake]

Maybe honeysuckle are the ones above the rose quimmy.

 

[quimcunx]

honeysuckle looks like a distinct possibility, cheers.

The other one, lily, lotus flower, orchid, something rhyzomy?

 

[kabbes]

Are you sure they aren't just "generic flowers"?

 

[Will2403]

i think these innocent lookin dudes are going to turn into horrible spikey beasts...


i like the look of this little guy, as far as i can see, he's the only one of his kind in the wilderness


these are my favourites, what are they and how do i make more of them?


mostly golden rod and nettles, these have got to go...


what's this? is he a keeper?

 

[Mrs Magpie]

i think these innocent lookin dudes are going to turn into horrible spikey beasts...
View attachment 15943

Looks like ground elder if you ask me. A bugger to eradicate, but at least you can eat it (if it is ground elder, that is).



http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/ground-elder.htm

 

[Will2403]

i'd like to get some branches and leaves to cover up the trunk, but how?


quite like this, the bark is very dry and cracked, looks good imo.


i like the flowers and so do the bees, but it wraps around everything and is a bit annoying really, what is the best thing to do with it?


pretty sure this is mint!

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Pretty sure that's not mint. Looks like dog's mercury. Crush one of the leaves and if it's not minty it's not mint.

 

[Will2403]

more ground elder...


this is the tree/bush i cut down yesterday...


should i chop the other branches off, will it still grow back?


i like these

 

[gentlegreen]

The thing you cut back looks like forsythia - named by one of Bruce's ancestors - yellow flowers before leaves ?

I'm never sure about how far back you can cut it or how late - I think it will flower on the new wood that grows this year.

The bottom thing looks like some sort of potentilla - strawberry relative - or a geum - I suspect it will spread all by itself ...

... on the other hand, buttercups also have 5 petals ...

 

[quimcunx]

Are you sure they aren't just "generic flowers"?

No. But they are quite specific looking for generic flowers.

 

[geminisnake]

post112 pic 3 looks lily like to me, but could be willow herb. Hard to tell from the photo. The foliage surrounding the spiky thing in pic2 is imo a horrid weed with stinky flowers that deserves to die 100 deaths.

post 114, divert some of the white periwinkle(iirc) pic3 to the bottom of the tree, let it climb up that or get a honeysuckle, bees love that too. I'm with Mrs M on pic 4, looks herby but not mint.

post 116 pic 4 another(imo) bloody weed!!

I can send you poppy seeds if you want better wild flowers

 

[geminisnake]

argh dp!