Thread: Weed or not?
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Old 04-05-2012, 09:19 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Stewart Robert Hinsley Stewart Robert Hinsley is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
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Default Weed or not?

In message
,
harry writes
On May 3, 9:35*pm, birdsareace
wrote:
I'm fairly new to gardening and after clearing my borders last year,
they are now full of this plant. It's quite pretty but if it's a weed I
need to get rid. Thanks in advance.

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birdsareace


No it's not a "weed"/native plant as such.


It being Geranium lucidum (shining cranesbill).

It's related to geraniums and used as a ground cover plant (to
supressother plants). Very invasive.
But if you don't want it, by definitionit is a weed.


Stace says "Native; bare ground, rocks, walls and stony banks, mostly on
calcareous ground; locally common in most of BI, also garden escape in S
En." ( don't think I've ever seen grown as a garden plant.)

It's commonest along a belt from Cumbria though the Welsh Marches (and
Staffordshire) to south Devon. It's a plant which is increasing its
range.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley