"K" wrote in message
...
"David (Normandy)" writes
By popular demand! Here is a photo of my other mystery plant which Stewart
Robert Hinsley managed to identify yesterday from a brief description
only.

The plant was growing in the veg plot last year as a small rosette of
furry
silver leaves and looked quite cute, so I transplanted it to the orchard.
A
year on it has become quite a monster. The once pretty looking leaves have
made a feast for lots of caterpillars so are now quite tatty.

I'll let it run to seed and scatter the seeds in our wild flower area.

http://www.avisoft.co.uk/SharedPhotos/Hpim5565a.jpg

Are you going to post a pic of the caterpillars too? :-)
--
Kay

Just had a closer look and they all seem to have vacated the premises!
They were definitely the mullen moth caterpillars though - I googled them as
suggested and they look exactly as I remember them. Another small (first
year) one was growing in the veg plot a few weeks ago and it was absolutely
writhing with them. As it was next to lots of veggies I pulled it up and put
it in the compost. In retrospect I could perhaps have left it if the
caterpillars are specialised feeders of that plant alone. I'll know next
time and just leave them to it.

David.