Enchanter's nightshade
 

This plant (Circaea lutetiana) has appeared out of nowhere in my garden,
specifically in my stone troughs. Should I leave it alone, as it's quite
attractive, or deal with it before it gets out of hand? Does anyone here
have experience of it?

someone

Enchanter's nightshade
 

"someone" wrote in message
...
This plant (Circaea lutetiana) has appeared out of nowhere in my garden,
specifically in my stone troughs. Should I leave it alone, as it's quite
attractive, or deal with it before it gets out of hand? Does anyone here
have experience of it?

Any reason to kill it?

Tina

Once it gets established, it is capable of spreading and carpeting the soil.It spreads by creeping roots, which break easily, and presumably also by seed, since it pops up in all corners of the garden. On the other hand, it's quite easy to pull. I'd regard it as something on the lines of germander speedwell, not as bad as, say, Alchemilla mollis, dandelion or salad burnet (even though they srpead as individual plants)

Enchanter's nightshade
 

In message , kay
writes

'Christina Websell[_2_ Wrote:
;893426']"someone" wrote in message
...-
This plant (Circaea lutetiana) has appeared out of nowhere in my
garden,
specifically in my stone troughs. Should I leave it alone, as it's
quite
attractive, or deal with it before it gets out of hand? Does anyone
here
have experience of it?
-
Any reason to kill it?



Once it gets established, it is capable of spreading and carpeting the
soil.It spreads by creeping roots, which break easily, and presumably
also by seed, since it pops up in all corners of the garden. On the
other hand, it's quite easy to pull. I'd regard it as something on the
lines of germander speedwell, not as bad as, say, Alchemilla mollis,
dandelion or salad burnet (even though they srpead as individual plants)

I know it as a plant of shady woodlands. Would I be right in expecting
it to fail to establish in most garden contexts?
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

No. Underneath any bush or even herbaceous perennial has much the same characteristics as a shady woodland. Though I admit my garden is shadier and more unkempt than most.

Besides, most hings that live in shade, or on poor dry soil, or other unfavourable situation, do so, not because they like the situation, but because they don't like competition. Keep the competition down (as we tend to do in gardens) and they will love the better conditions.

(Fitter says "a carpeter, sometimes unwelcome in gardens")

Enchanter's nightshade
 

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , kay
writes

'Christina Websell[_2_ Wrote:
;893426']"someone" wrote in message
...-
This plant (Circaea lutetiana) has appeared out of nowhere in my
garden,
specifically in my stone troughs. Should I leave it alone, as it's
quite
attractive, or deal with it before it gets out of hand? Does anyone
here
have experience of it?
-
Any reason to kill it?



Once it gets established, it is capable of spreading and carpeting the
soil.It spreads by creeping roots, which break easily, and presumably
also by seed, since it pops up in all corners of the garden. On the
other hand, it's quite easy to pull. I'd regard it as something on the
lines of germander speedwell, not as bad as, say, Alchemilla mollis,
dandelion or salad burnet (even though they srpead as individual plants)

I know it as a plant of shady woodlands. Would I be right in expecting it
to fail to establish in most garden contexts?
--

Thank you to Christina and kay for their comments.

It may well be a plant of shady woodlands but it is certainly not failing to
establish in my garden context. It must have blown in from somewhere and
has established itself out of the blue in a small stone trough I've
constructed for my Tulbaghias.

I think it will shortly be history in my garden, cute though it is.

someone

Enchanter's nightshade
 

On 10/07/2010 00:17, someone wrote:
"Stewart Robert wrote in message
...
In , kay
writes

'Christina Websell[_2_ Wrote:
;893426']"someone" wrote in message
...-
This plant (Circaea lutetiana) has appeared out of nowhere in my
garden,
specifically in my stone troughs. Should I leave it alone, as it's
quite
attractive, or deal with it before it gets out of hand? Does anyone
here
have experience of it?
-
Any reason to kill it?



Once it gets established, it is capable of spreading and carpeting the
soil.It spreads by creeping roots, which break easily, and presumably
also by seed, since it pops up in all corners of the garden. On the
other hand, it's quite easy to pull. I'd regard it as something on the
lines of germander speedwell, not as bad as, say, Alchemilla mollis,
dandelion or salad burnet (even though they srpead as individual plants)

I know it as a plant of shady woodlands. Would I be right in expecting it
to fail to establish in most garden contexts?
--

Thank you to Christina and kay for their comments.

It may well be a plant of shady woodlands but it is certainly not failing to
establish in my garden context. It must have blown in from somewhere and
has established itself out of the blue in a small stone trough I've
constructed for my Tulbaghias.

I think it will shortly be history in my garden, cute though it is.

someone


It is undeniably pretty. It's a saxifrage relative, I believe. In my
garden it is very invasive and I have trouble getting rid of it in some
places, hence it gradually finds its way back where I've already cleared
it. It spreads both by its brittle white roots and by seed. The seed
is covered in fine barbs, so it clings to clothing and animal fur like
Velcro. It drives me mad (I bet you always wondered how that happened
:~/), so I'm pleased kto hear you're getting rid of it.

Spider

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

Enchanter's nightshade
 

In message , Spider
writes
It's a saxifrage relative, I believe.

It's a willow herb relative (Onagraceae). Hitting the literature I find
a claim that Fuchsia is its nearest relative, other than the other
species of Circaea. [Levin et al, American Journal of Botany 90(1):
107-115 (2003).

Spider


--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Enchanter's nightshade
 

On 14/07/2010 14:31, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , Spider
writes
It's a saxifrage relative, I believe.

It's a willow herb relative (Onagraceae). Hitting the literature I find
a claim that Fuchsia is its nearest relative, other than the other
species of Circaea. [Levin et al, American Journal of Botany 90(1):
107-115 (2003).

Spider




Blush :~)! Yes, you're quite right. I always thought the leaves were
more fuchsia-like than saxifrage, but having read/been told ages ago
that it was a saxifrage relative *and* detecting a saxifrage likeness in
the flower spike, I didn't question it. I should have, shouldn't I?
:~(. Thanks for the education.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

Enchanter's nightshade
 

In message , Spider
writes
On 14/07/2010 14:31, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , Spider
writes
It's a saxifrage relative, I believe.

It's a willow herb relative (Onagraceae). Hitting the literature I find
a claim that Fuchsia is its nearest relative, other than the other
species of Circaea. [Levin et al, American Journal of Botany 90(1):
107-115 (2003).

Spider




Blush :~)! Yes, you're quite right. I always thought the leaves were
more fuchsia-like than saxifrage, but having read/been told ages ago
that it was a saxifrage relative *and* detecting a saxifrage likeness
in the flower spike, I didn't question it. I should have, shouldn't I?
:~(. Thanks for the education.

If it makes you feel better it took me a few years to put a name to
enchanter's nightshade. It grows (among other places) on the edge of a
wood on the way to the entrance to one of the local parks, and I know it
was there, but I was baffled as to what it was.

Now I can recognise I've recorded from 16 localities.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Enchanter's nightshade
 

On 15/07/2010 14:25, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , Spider
writes
On 14/07/2010 14:31, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , Spider
writes
It's a saxifrage relative, I believe.

It's a willow herb relative (Onagraceae). Hitting the literature I find
a claim that Fuchsia is its nearest relative, other than the other
species of Circaea. [Levin et al, American Journal of Botany 90(1):
107-115 (2003).

Spider




Blush :~)! Yes, you're quite right. I always thought the leaves were
more fuchsia-like than saxifrage, but having read/been told ages ago
that it was a saxifrage relative *and* detecting a saxifrage likeness
in the flower spike, I didn't question it. I should have, shouldn't I?
:~(. Thanks for the education.

If it makes you feel better it took me a few years to put a name to
enchanter's nightshade. It grows (among other places) on the edge of a
wood on the way to the entrance to one of the local parks, and I know it
was there, but I was baffled as to what it was.

Now I can recognise I've recorded from 16 localities.


Thanks, Stewart. That made me smile; ... still feel daft, though!

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

Enchanter's nightshade
 

Spider wrote:
On 15/07/2010 14:25, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , Spider
writes
On 14/07/2010 14:31, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , Spider
writes
It's a saxifrage relative, I believe.

It's a willow herb relative (Onagraceae). Hitting the literature I
find a claim that Fuchsia is its nearest relative, other than the
other species of Circaea. [Levin et al, American Journal of Botany
90(1): 107-115 (2003).

Spider




Blush :~)! Yes, you're quite right. I always thought the leaves were
more fuchsia-like than saxifrage, but having read/been told ages ago
that it was a saxifrage relative *and* detecting a saxifrage
likeness in the flower spike, I didn't question it. I should have,
shouldn't I? :~(. Thanks for the education.

If it makes you feel better it took me a few years to put a name to
enchanter's nightshade. It grows (among other places) on the edge of
a wood on the way to the entrance to one of the local parks, and I
know it was there, but I was baffled as to what it was.

Now I can recognise I've recorded from 16 localities.


Thanks, Stewart. That made me smile; ... still feel daft, though!

Never feel daft. In the words of my late grandmother "you're not born
knowing everything about everything and if you live as long as I have, you
still never will.."

Tina

Enchanter's nightshade
 

On 20/07/2010 19:02, Christina Websell wrote:
Spider wrote:
On 15/07/2010 14:25, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In , Spider
writes
On 14/07/2010 14:31, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In , Spider
writes
It's a saxifrage relative, I believe.

It's a willow herb relative (Onagraceae). Hitting the literature I
find a claim that Fuchsia is its nearest relative, other than the
other species of Circaea. [Levin et al, American Journal of Botany
90(1): 107-115 (2003).

Spider




Blush :~)! Yes, you're quite right. I always thought the leaves were
more fuchsia-like than saxifrage, but having read/been told ages ago
that it was a saxifrage relative *and* detecting a saxifrage
likeness in the flower spike, I didn't question it. I should have,
shouldn't I? :~(. Thanks for the education.

If it makes you feel better it took me a few years to put a name to
enchanter's nightshade. It grows (among other places) on the edge of
a wood on the way to the entrance to one of the local parks, and I
know it was there, but I was baffled as to what it was.

Now I can recognise I've recorded from 16 localities.


Thanks, Stewart. That made me smile; ... still feel daft, though!

Never feel daft. In the words of my late grandmother "you're not born
knowing everything about everything and if you live as long as I have, you
still never will.."

Tina



Thanks, Tina :~) Your late g'mother was a wise lady. The world would
be a dull place if we had nothing left to learn.


--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay