What is this bush/tree/plant?

[campanula]

I think it is honeysuckle - lonicera japonica 'Halliana'. There is often a different leave shape with newer leaves having indented edges.

 

[chainsawjob]

Thanks both. That would make sense campanula as it's growing beneath honeysuckle hanging over the fence from next door. I don't really need more honeysuckle! This mentions it's a non native species, aka Japanese honeysuckle, and has become invasive in some other countries. Hmm. I guess it's ok in a pot, I've got some trellis I could grow it up (and become Mrs Trellis from South Wales).

 

[campanula]

Japanese honeysuckle is incredibly fragrant...but I wouldn't be growing it in a garden as it is a beast. There are much more mannerly lonicera's than Halliana, with far better flowers. If it is next door, you should get the benefits of fragrance with none of the drawbacks (such as cutting back several times a year...which leads to vast twiggy amounts of dead wood as it branches like crazy).

 

[chainsawjob]

Japanese honeysuckle is incredibly fragrant...but I wouldn't be growing it in a garden as it is a beast. There are much more mannerly lonicera's than Halliana, with far better flowers. If it is next door, you should get the benefits of fragrance with none of the drawbacks (such as cutting back several times a year...which leads to vast twiggy amounts of dead wood as it branches like crazy).

It's in a pot. Will it like it I wonder? I don't have any bare earth, so I won't be planting it in the ground. I checked what sort of honeysuckle is coming over the fence from next door and it's ordinary native honeysuckle. It's just starting to smell lovely. So I don't know where this Japanese variety has blown in from. If it's invasive in some countries I guess it's pretty good at getting around and getting a toehold.

 

[campanula]

The flowers of our native woodbines are often flushed with red and are much larger than Japanese honeysuckle. I think the anomalous leaves are quite common with many twining loniceras. Japanese honeysuckle flowers are quite small, opening white and changing to yellow when they have been pollinated. You have nothing to lose by continuing to grow it in it's pot - they are not too demanding although it might be prone to a touch of powdery mildew if it gets too dry. I bloody love free plants (volunteer seedlings). I remember reading about someone who simply stretched a wire between 2 posts which was then used by perching (and pooing) birds. In a decade or so, a diverse and productive hedge established itself.

 

[sunnysidedown]

my thoughts are a Sorbus of some description, a Rowan perhaps?

 

[chainsawjob]

I bloody love free plants (volunteer seedlings). I remember reading about someone who simply stretched a wire between 2 posts which was then used by perching (and pooing) birds. In a decade or so, a diverse and productive hedge established itself.

How clever! Yeah I love free plants too. I've been clearing the weeds from between my block paving, and what used to be there (presumably) before the paving went down is still trying to grow up through the cracks. There have been strawberries and all sorts. So I've got several plants that I've carefully pulled out and am trying to nurture into continuing growing. I've got a few mystery things wilting a bit in plant pots waiting to see what they grow into. Some are from seeds blown in I guess, I don't think the hawthorn is going to make it, I've been told they have very deep roots, but it's surprising how much root a plant can be parted from and still manage to grow.

 

[gentlegreen]

Having lived in the same small house and garden for 36 years, I don't have many things that haven't self-seeded from my own plants (including date palms and avocado from discarded stones) apart from dandelions. thistles several species of willowherb and the odd buddleia - and hairy bittercress that probably came in with plants .. I had a cleaver spring up in my hanging basket this year.
Someone posted up a photo of annual mercury the other day and I realised I hadn't encountered one for years so had a close look at one in the park since I'm a euphorbia fan ...

I did get a very small thornapple from birdseed some years back



And I held out till the last moment to cut down my path thistle

 

[Artaxerxes]

Any idea on what this little fella is?



Found a cluster of them on a fleece bag covering something up. Think it’s been eating plum tree leaves.

 

[Calamity1971]

Any idea on what this little fella is?

View attachment 215608

Found a cluster of them on a fleece bag covering something up. Think it’s been eating plum tree leaves.

Looks like brown tail moth. According to Google it munches on fruit trees. They don't stay for long but do a fair bit of damage.
The Brown-tail Moth and what to do if you see it
ETA, hope I'm wrong, itchy wee shits going by that article.

 

[two sheds]

I remember reading about someone who simply stretched a wire between 2 posts which was then used by perching (and pooing) birds. In a decade or so, a diverse and productive hedge established itself.

Yes clever . You can tell the trees birds perch in because they've got hawthorns and things but mainly brambles growing below them.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Looks like brown tail moth. According to Google it munches on fruit trees. They don't stay for long but do a fair bit of damage.
The Brown-tail Moth and what to do if you see it
ETA, hope I'm wrong, itchy wee shits going by that article.

Didn't touch him, know enough to not go near hairy caterpillars.

Doesn't look quite right to me but very very close.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Think he's a gypsy moth caterpillar, he's got the right face and blue spots.

Gypsy moth caterpillar

Project Noah is a tool that nature lovers can use to explore and document local wildlife and a common technology platform that research groups can use to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.

www.projectnoah.org

 

[Calamity1971]

Looks like they're voracious eaters as well. I wonder why they are not common outside of London?
Better than the one I though it was at least.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Looks like they're voracious eaters as well. I wonder why they are not common outside of London?
Better than the one I though it was at least.

The females don't fly apparently, limits the spread. It's a non-native that made it over here in 1900s.

There's more info on forestry site suggested you should report them so might do that tomorrow.

 

[Calamity1971]

The females don't fly apparently, limits the spread. It's a non-native that made it over here in 1900s.

There's more info on forestry site suggested you should report them so might do that tomorrow.

Yeh, rhs suggest you report it too. I just took for granted you were another London urb.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Yeh, rhs suggest you report it too. I just took for granted you were another London urb.

Just barely with M25 so close but I'm in Essex technically

 

[Calamity1971]

Just barely with M25 so close but I'm in Essex technically

Expect the caterpillar hit sqaud in Essex soon then. Still London to me, but I'm a northerner and with a crap sense of geography to boot.

 

[gentlegreen]

As expected, the seeds that were mis-sold to me on Ebay as "wasabi" have sprouted.
It's clearly in the mint family.
Last time I thought it must be catmint because of the unholy stink.
this time I'm detecting a fair bit of lemon and a lot of mint
I will update with photos as it grows and flowers ...

 

[Artaxerxes]

As expected, the seeds that were mis-sold to me on Ebay as "wasabi" have sprouted.
It's clearly in the mint family.
Last time I thought it must be catmint because of the unholy stink.
this time I'm detecting a fair bit of lemon and a lot of mint
I will update with photos as it grows and flowers ...


View attachment 215918

Some sort of lemon balm? I have no idea what cat mint smells like.

 

[gentlegreen]

Some sort of lemon balm? I have no idea what cat mint smells like.

Definitely not lemon balm as I've had that growing for years.
This is definitely minty

 

[Callie]

I can post you a cat if you want test out the cat mint theory? Maybe throw some on the pavement and see if any arrive? One of mine has been rolling around in dried bay leaves post pruning though so some cats are less discerning she also goes nuts for olives?!

 

[gentlegreen]

I can post you a cat if you want test out the cat mint theory? Maybe throw some on the pavement and see if any arrive? One of mine has been rolling around in dried bay leaves post pruning though so some cats are less discerning she also goes nuts for olives?!

That was my plan last time and currently there are more cats about.
Annoyingly this time it smells actually pleasant. Perhaps the smell develops when it gets a bit bigger ...

 

[gentlegreen]

There are some community raised veggie beds in the local park and there's a big patch of what look like something in the pea family - can't tell if it's deliberate - perhaps it's some sort of clover being used as green manure ...
There are quite a few black nightshade seedlings too - I haven't seen those since I had an allotment ... perhaps people think they're potatoes ...

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm annoyed by some of the trees in my local park.
I didn't note what the flowers were like on this small tree...perhaps they were attractive - perhaps the fruits are attractive later.... perhaps they'll end up being malus-y ...
The key thing I noticed is that the tip-most leaf is palmate, but the rest of them aren't.
Google images thinks it's coca

 

[iona]

Any ideas what this is?

I thought maybe nemesia based on the highly scientific ID method of having seen some for sale recently that at a glance looked vaguely similar.

 

[campanula]

Any ideas what this is?

mimulus luteus - aka monkey flower. Likes it wet.

 

[iona]

mimulus luteus - aka monkey flower. Likes it wet.

Oh yeah, there was a pink mimulus in another pot actually so not sure why I didn't work that out Fuck knows why it suddenly sprung to life in the dry spell we've just had then (it's in one of the old pots I've not dealt with yet and don't really bother watering)

 

[campanula]

Oh yeah, there was a pink mimulus in another pot actually so not sure why I didn't work that out Fuck knows why it suddenly sprung to life in the dry spell we've just had then (it's in one of the old pots I've not dealt with yet and don't really bother watering)

They are bred to have a bit more resistance than the species (which are always yellow with speckled throats) and are definitely bog plants. I think mimulus aurianticus is in the mix somewhere as these multti-coloured mumulus are garden hybrids. The aurianticus is totally different, making vigorous woody shrubby growth, with orange or red flowers. Even so, your mimulus (I think it looks like one of the 'Magic' series) will last longer and flower more profusely if the pots do not dry out. Also, they will run to seed very quickly indeed if it seems like they are going to have a short and difficult life (like all our recently bolting lettuce) since their whole purpose in life is to regenerate through seed.
I am in the hottest, driest part of the UK though. A moister maritime climate might preserve yout plants from drought induced death.

 

[gentlegreen]