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Old 07-07-2007, 04:55 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Mary Fisher Mary Fisher is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,441
Default Plant / Weed ID Please


"K" wrote in message
...
"David (Normandy)" writes

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , "David
(Normandy)"
writes

May have to just leave them growing and see what they become. I like
mystery
plants. Except when it turns out I'm cultivating a monster such as
deadly
nightshade! You should see the cute little wildflower I carefully
transplanted from the veg plot to the orchard. It has grown to over six
feet
with several yellow flower spikes and lots of big furry silvery leaves
which
have been largely destroyed by caterpillars - I may post of photo of it
tomorrow for identification.


You probably don't need a photo - that sounds like a mullein. In the UK
it
would mostly likely be Verbascum thapsus, but perhaps things are
different
in Normandy.
--


I'm impressed! I googled Verbascum thapsus and the photos of "Great
Mullein"
look just like the plant!
Does that mean I can't post of photo of it :-( (


Course you can - photos are for sharing successes as well as problems :-)

It is quite a spectacular plant size wise. I'm six feet and it is now
taller
than me. The upper part of the flower spike seems to curl and track the
sun
during the day bending towards it. On cloudy days it points straight up.

It seems to be a biennial, tends to die after flowering, but the seeds
will give plants that flower in the second year. So look out this year for
last year's seedlings to give you flowers next year. Mine only grow to
about 4ft.

In the UK, it has it's own special moth, the mullein moth, don't know
about France. Google and see if that's what your caterpillars are.
--
Kay


And in some parts of Britain it's known as the candlewick plant.

Mary