Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although it's
not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are darker green,
almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I don't
want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it and don't know
what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

Phil L writes
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although it's
not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are darker green,
almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I don't
want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it and don't know
what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

It'll be a lot easier to identify if you can ask again when it is in
flower! Meanwhile, as a starter, try burdock and tell us how it differs
from that ;-)


--
Kay

In message , K
writes
Phil L writes
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although it's
not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are darker green,
almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I don't
want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it and don't know
what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

It'll be a lot easier to identify if you can ask again when it is in
flower! Meanwhile, as a starter, try burdock and tell us how it
differs from that ;-)


If it's burdock he should have noticed the flowers and fruits.

I was overlooking horse-radish as a dock of some description until I had
someone identify it for me from a photo - once you know where to look in
a flora ...

There's quite a few types of dock, including one with a blueish cast to
the leaves. Again, if it's this he should have noticed the dock-like
flowers and fruits.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

K wrote:
Phil L writes
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although
it's not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are
darker green, almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I
don't want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it
and don't know what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

It'll be a lot easier to identify if you can ask again when it is in
flower! Meanwhile, as a starter, try burdock and tell us how it
differs from that ;-)

It's nothing like that :-p
And I don't recall ever seeing it in flower...it's leaves are oval but
pointed and a foot long, about 3 or 4 inches wide.
Looking at the plant, it is just all leaves, IE no visible stalks or other
trunky-type things.
It's dark green and the leaves are covered in fine hairs but feel
rough...there are no other visible characteristics really, except that it
grows in fallow fields, hedgerows etc

"Phil L" wrote in message
.uk...
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although it's
not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are darker
green, almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I don't
want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it and don't
know what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

Type of Pulmonaria?
http://www.mooseyscountrygarden.com/...pulmonaria.jpg

Plantian?
http://www.blitzworld.com/Weeds/plantain.htm

Or the 'false' forget me not _ Brunnera macrophylla (has VERY hairy leaves
and tiny flowers)
http://www.robsplants.com/plants/BrunnMacJF.php

Here's a site with pictures of weed leaves........maybe you can identify it
?
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/weedlf.htm

Do let us know if you find it :~)
Jenny

Phil L writes
K wrote:
Phil L writes
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although
it's not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are
darker green, almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I
don't want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it
and don't know what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

It'll be a lot easier to identify if you can ask again when it is in
flower! Meanwhile, as a starter, try burdock and tell us how it
differs from that ;-)

It's nothing like that :-p
And I don't recall ever seeing it in flower...it's leaves are oval but
pointed and a foot long, about 3 or 4 inches wide.
Looking at the plant, it is just all leaves, IE no visible stalks or other
trunky-type things.
It's dark green and the leaves are covered in fine hairs but feel
rough...there are no other visible characteristics really, except that it
grows in fallow fields, hedgerows etc

Green alkanet? Leaves not quite that long but they are pointed, 3 to 4
inches wide, covered in fine hairs and feel rough. Comfrey?


--
Kay

"Phil L" wrote in message
.uk...
K wrote:
Phil L writes
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although
it's not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are
darker green, almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I
don't want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it
and don't know what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

It'll be a lot easier to identify if you can ask again when it is in
flower! Meanwhile, as a starter, try burdock and tell us how it
differs from that ;-)

It's nothing like that :-p
And I don't recall ever seeing it in flower...it's leaves are oval but
pointed and a foot long, about 3 or 4 inches wide.
Looking at the plant, it is just all leaves, IE no visible stalks or other
trunky-type things.
It's dark green and the leaves are covered in fine hairs but feel
rough...there are no other visible characteristics really, except that it
grows in fallow fields, hedgerows etc

These below all have quite obvious "trunky-type" things so I guess I am
wrong on all of them but here goes :-)
Ragwort? (Senecio jacobaea)
Foxglove?
Teasel?
Mullein (Verbascum - very hairy; like hair city Arizona degree of
hairiness)?

Des
"Baffled in Dublin"

"K" wrote
Phil L writes

snip
It's dark green and the leaves are covered in fine hairs but feel
rough...there are no other visible characteristics really, except that
it grows in fallow fields, hedgerows etc

Green alkanet? Leaves not quite that long but they are pointed, 3 to 4
inches wide, covered in fine hairs and feel rough. Comfrey?

My first thought was comfrey too. There's a pic of a clump without
flowers on this page: http://www.beansandherbs.co.uk/comfrey.htm
My purple flowered one's leaves look slightly longer and a bit more
pointed than that one. The vein pattern reminds me of crazy paving.

--
Sue

K wrote:
Phil L writes
K wrote:
Phil L writes
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere,
although it's not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are
darker green, almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I
don't want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it
and don't know what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

It'll be a lot easier to identify if you can ask again when it is in
flower! Meanwhile, as a starter, try burdock and tell us how it
differs from that ;-)

It's nothing like that :-p
And I don't recall ever seeing it in flower...it's leaves are oval
but pointed and a foot long, about 3 or 4 inches wide.
Looking at the plant, it is just all leaves, IE no visible stalks or
other trunky-type things.
It's dark green and the leaves are covered in fine hairs but feel
rough...there are no other visible characteristics really, except
that it grows in fallow fields, hedgerows etc

Green alkanet? Leaves not quite that long but they are pointed, 3 to 4
inches wide, covered in fine hairs and feel rough. Comfrey?

I think it's comfrey!

I've been using google's advanced image search and of al the results,
there's only this one looks like the plant I have in mind, the rest of the
photos don't look anything like this one:

http://www.risc.org.uk/garden/plants/comfrey.htm

Phil L wrote:
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although
it's not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are darker
green, almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I
don't want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it
and don't know what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

Thanks to all, I think it's comfrey as suggested by K and Sue...I may
'aquire' a clump of it for the garden, I think the leaves are quite
impressive in the right setting, the flowers will be a bonus.

Phil L writes
K wrote:

Green alkanet? Leaves not quite that long but they are pointed, 3 to 4
inches wide, covered in fine hairs and feel rough. Comfrey?

I think it's comfrey!

I've been using google's advanced image search and of al the results,
there's only this one looks like the plant I have in mind, the rest of the
photos don't look anything like this one:

http://www.risc.org.uk/garden/plants/comfrey.htm

In that case, could be that or alkanet. Keep an eye on it next year and
see if you can catch it in flower. Forget-me-not blue flowers = alkanet,
white or purple = comfrey. Individual flowers should be 5 petalled,
about 1/4 inch across, but will be more or less in a crook-shaped spire.
Any different flowers, and you'll have to come back again!


--
Kay

"K" wrote in message
...
Phil L writes
K wrote:

Green alkanet? Leaves not quite that long but they are pointed, 3 to 4
inches wide, covered in fine hairs and feel rough. Comfrey?

I think it's comfrey!

I've been using google's advanced image search and of al the results,
there's only this one looks like the plant I have in mind, the rest of the
photos don't look anything like this one:

http://www.risc.org.uk/garden/plants/comfrey.htm

In that case, could be that or alkanet. Keep an eye on it next year and
see if you can catch it in flower. Forget-me-not blue flowers = alkanet,
white or purple = comfrey. Individual flowers should be 5 petalled, about
1/4 inch across, but will be more or less in a crook-shaped spire. Any
different flowers, and you'll have to come back again!

Alkanet is a very interesting plant ... its root imparts a pink dye which is
soluble in oils and fats. I know of no other dyes like that.

It used to be used to colour cosmetics and unguents.

Mary

Mary


--
Kay

Get some of the root, grind it up and mix into a paste with water, break
your arm or leg - and try setting a cast.

If it works... it's comfrey!

Keith


"Phil L" wrote in message
. uk...
K wrote:
Phil L writes
K wrote:
Phil L writes
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere,
although it's not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are
darker green, almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I
don't want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it
and don't know what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

It'll be a lot easier to identify if you can ask again when it is in
flower! Meanwhile, as a starter, try burdock and tell us how it
differs from that ;-)

It's nothing like that :-p
And I don't recall ever seeing it in flower...it's leaves are oval
but pointed and a foot long, about 3 or 4 inches wide.
Looking at the plant, it is just all leaves, IE no visible stalks or
other trunky-type things.
It's dark green and the leaves are covered in fine hairs but feel
rough...there are no other visible characteristics really, except
that it grows in fallow fields, hedgerows etc

Green alkanet? Leaves not quite that long but they are pointed, 3 to 4
inches wide, covered in fine hairs and feel rough. Comfrey?

I think it's comfrey!

I've been using google's advanced image search and of al the results,
there's only this one looks like the plant I have in mind, the rest of the
photos don't look anything like this one:

http://www.risc.org.uk/garden/plants/comfrey.htm

"Phil L" wrote in message
news
Phil L wrote:
Right, here goes...it's a wild plant, IE it grows anywhere, although
it's not everywhere!
it resembles dock in size and leaf shape except the leaves are darker
green, almost bluish and hairy and more pointed.
A clump of it would easily be about 14 inches across and high....I
don't want to know for any particular reason, I just keep seeing it
and don't know what it is, googling for hairy leaves gets nowhere

Thanks to all, I think it's comfrey as suggested by K and Sue...I may
'aquire' a clump of it for the garden, I think the leaves are quite
impressive in the right setting, the flowers will be a bonus.
Comfrey/Borage/Alkanet-all are impressive and very pretty flowers but they
self seed prolifically and have deep tap roots that get deeper and broader
each season. On the plus side they make superb compost:-)