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Mystery weed: red stems, gets big
Good morning, I'm hoping someone can identify this wretched weed for me.
It's stout, sturdy: the stems are bright red: the leaves are long and quite narrow (not linear) and appear in pairs up the stems, and are green with a red central vein underneath. It has just started appearing this year, so the ones I have are all less than a foot high, but it goes quite tall, er, about three or four foot high from memory. I can't remember what sort of flowers it makes - I try to get them all out before they get to that stage! - and most of the weed identification sites seem to go with flower colour first. But the stems are ridiculously red, rhubarb coloured, so I'm hoping someone might recognise it, or at least give me some suggestions..... It's so common that I feel a fool for having to ask, but I can't find it in any of my gardening books, and I've had no luck on google either. The sticky post asks us not to post photos, so I'm now trying to work out how to get the photo that I have onto the internet for you - in the meantime, does it sound familiar? Please advise! Rachel |
Mystery weed: red stems, gets big
"Rachel 101" wrote in message ... Good morning, I'm hoping someone can identify this wretched weed for me. It's stout, sturdy: the stems are bright red: the leaves are long and quite narrow (not linear) and appear in pairs up the stems, and are green with a red central vein underneath. It has just started appearing this year, so the ones I have are all less than a foot high, but it goes quite tall, er, about three or four foot high from memory. I can't remember what sort of flowers it makes - I try to get them all out before they get to that stage! - and most of the weed identification sites seem to go with flower colour first. But the stems are ridiculously red, rhubarb coloured, so I'm hoping someone might recognise it, or at least give me some suggestions..... It's so common that I feel a fool for having to ask, but I can't find it in any of my gardening books, and I've had no luck on google either. The sticky post asks us not to post photos, so I'm now trying to work out how to get the photo that I have onto the internet for you - in the meantime, does it sound familiar? Please advise! Rachel -- Rachel 101 Posting a picture is quite easy. See what I have done. http://www.myalbum.com/Album=MUKLG34Q Mike -- .................................... It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. .................................... |
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Typically, I can't find any pictures of it when young! I've now managed to get a picture of it on the internet: https://sites.google.com/site/gbplants101/mystery-weed Does this turn into Rosebay Willowherb? Rachel 101 |
Mystery weed: red stems, gets big
On Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:57:59 +0000, Rachel 101
wrote: Good morning, I'm hoping someone can identify this wretched weed for me. It's stout, sturdy: the stems are bright red: the leaves are long and quite narrow (not linear) and appear in pairs up the stems, and are green with a red central vein underneath. It has just started appearing this year, so the ones I have are all less than a foot high, but it goes quite tall, er, about three or four foot high from memory. I can't remember what sort of flowers it makes - I try to get them all out before they get to that stage! - and most of the weed identification sites seem to go with flower colour first. But the stems are ridiculously red, rhubarb coloured, so I'm hoping someone might recognise it, or at least give me some suggestions..... It's so common that I feel a fool for having to ask, but I can't find it in any of my gardening books, and I've had no luck on google either. The sticky post asks us not to post photos, so I'm now trying to work out how to get the photo that I have onto the internet for you - in the meantime, does it sound familiar? Please advise! Rachel Possibly "herb robert", a member of the geranium family. Quite q pretty weed and easy to pull up. If it didn't seed itself around so easily it would be a desirable plant. Pam in Bristol |
Mystery weed: red stems, gets big
On Apr 29, 6:57*am, Rachel 101
wrote: Good morning, I'm hoping someone can identify this wretched weed for me. It's stout, sturdy: the stems are bright red: the leaves are long and quite narrow (not linear) and appear in pairs up the stems, and are green with a red central vein underneath. It has just started appearing this year, so the ones I have are all less than a foot high, but it goes quite tall, er, about three or four foot high from memory. I can't remember what sort of flowers it makes - I try to get them all out before they get to that stage! - and most of the weed identification sites seem to go with flower colour first. But the stems are ridiculously red, rhubarb coloured, so I'm hoping someone might recognise it, or at least give me some suggestions..... It's so common that I feel a fool for having to ask, but I can't find it in any of my gardening books, and I've had no luck on google either. The sticky post asks us not to post photos, so I'm now trying to work out how to get the photo that I have onto the internet for you - in the meantime, does it sound familiar? Please advise! Rachel -- Rachel 101 Willow herb? |
Mystery weed: red stems, gets big
On Apr 29, 2:16*pm, Pam Moore wrote:
On Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:57:59 +0000, Rachel 101 wrote: Good morning, I'm hoping someone can identify this wretched weed for me. It's stout, sturdy: the stems are bright red: the leaves are long and quite narrow (not linear) and appear in pairs up the stems, and are green with a red central vein underneath. It has just started appearing this year, so the ones I have are all less than a foot high, but it goes quite tall, er, about three or four foot high from memory. I can't remember what sort of flowers it makes - I try to get them all out before they get to that stage! - and most of the weed identification sites seem to go with flower colour first. But the stems are ridiculously red, rhubarb coloured, so I'm hoping someone might recognise it, or at least give me some suggestions..... It's so common that I feel a fool for having to ask, but I can't find it in any of my gardening books, and I've had no luck on google either. The sticky post asks us not to post photos, so I'm now trying to work out how to get the photo that I have onto the internet for you - in the meantime, does it sound familiar? Please advise! Rachel Possibly "herb robert", a member of the geranium family. Quite q pretty weed and easy to pull up. *If it didn't seed itself around so easily it would be a desirable plant. Pam in Bristol- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Growing to 3 to 4 ft Pam? Not with me. |
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Well, to be pedantic, no - it doesn't *turn* into anything. It either is already or it isn't ;-) It looks very much like a willowherb or ally, doesn't quite look like rosebay, but at 3-4ft you haven't many options - only that, or great willowherb (which has hairy leaves) or purple loosestrife (and the leaves are wrong for that). Rosebay isn't actually a willowherb, although we've all always called it one. It's certainly not Himalayan Balsam or Herb Robert! |
Mystery weed: red stems, gets big
In message , Rachel 101
writes kay;919384 Wrote: Try Rosebay or Rosebay Willowherb (they're the same thing) Kay, thank you for such a quick answer: I originally thought it was Rosebay Willowherb but I wasn't at all sure that it had such rhubarb-red stems. Typically, I can't find any pictures of it when young! I've now managed to get a picture of it on the internet: http://tinyurl.com/6cs9fbp Does this turn into Rosebay Willowherb? No. Rosebay Willowherb has spirally arranged, rather than paired, leaves. Are the leaves hairy? If they are then I'd go for Epilobium parviflorum (hoary willowherb), though 3-4 ft high is a bit big for that. Epilobium hirsutum (great willowherb) is the other hairy-leaved species, but I don't think it's that. Otherwise one of the other willowherbs. Rachel 101 -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
Mystery weed: red stems, gets big
On Apr 29, 5:36*pm, kay wrote:
Rachel 101;919385 Wrote: Kay, thank you for such a quick answer: I originally thought it was Rosebay Willowherb but I wasn't at all sure that it had such rhubarb-red stems. Typically, I can't find any pictures of it when young! I've now managed to get a picture of it on the internet: http://tinyurl.com/6cs9fbp Does this turn into Rosebay Willowherb? Quite possibly. Well, to be pedantic, no - it doesn't *turn* into anything. It either is already or it isn't ;-) It looks very much like a willowherb or ally, doesn't quite look like rosebay, but at 3-4ft you haven't many options - only that, or great willowherb (which has hairy leaves) * or purple loosestrife (and the leaves are wrong for that). Rosebay isn't actually a willowherb, although we've all always called it one. It's certainly not Himalayan Balsam or Herb Robert! -- kay Certainly a willow herb, get rid of it ASAP |
Mystery weed: red stems, gets big
On Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:18:27 -0700 (PDT), Dave Hill
wrote: On Apr 29, 2:16*pm, Pam Moore wrote: On Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:57:59 +0000, Rachel 101 wrote: Good morning, I'm hoping someone can identify this wretched weed for me. It's stout, sturdy: the stems are bright red: the leaves are long and quite narrow (not linear) and appear in pairs up the stems, and are green with a red central vein underneath. It has just started appearing this year, so the ones I have are all less than a foot high, but it goes quite tall, er, about three or four foot high from memory. I can't remember what sort of flowers it makes - I try to get them all out before they get to that stage! - and most of the weed identification sites seem to go with flower colour first. But the stems are ridiculously red, rhubarb coloured, so I'm hoping someone might recognise it, or at least give me some suggestions..... It's so common that I feel a fool for having to ask, but I can't find it in any of my gardening books, and I've had no luck on google either. The sticky post asks us not to post photos, so I'm now trying to work out how to get the photo that I have onto the internet for you - in the meantime, does it sound familiar? Please advise! Rachel Possibly "herb robert", a member of the geranium family. Quite q pretty weed and easy to pull up. *If it didn't seed itself around so easily it would be a desirable plant. Pam in Bristol- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Growing to 3 to 4 ft Pam? Not with me. LOL. I posted before seeing the photo, and did not read the 4 feet bit. I agree, willowherb. Pam in Bristol |
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That explains why it didn't look quite right to me, but I was too lazy to go and look in my front garden to check. |
Thank you so much for all the replies - it's really good of you all.
In order: Mike, thank you, I copied what "David" from another post did, and created a Google site. I hope that you can now see the picture. Jake: Himalayan Balsam: oddly enough, it keyed out as that originally, but I didn't think Himalayan Balsam had such red stems. NOT Rosebay willowberb (far too easy!) as that has green stems, and the leaves aren't in pairs. (I did mention that they were in pairs, didn't I?) Pam, definitely not Herb Robert, nothing like it: oh, you hadn't read the bit about being so tall. Sorry, yes, it's very sturdy and tall, certainly not a geranium. Kay, the leaves are not hairy, and neither is the stem: sorry again, I should have made that clear. Can you see the picture? Shiny, rhubarb-red stems, and very bright red central vein on the undersides of the leaves. Purple loosestrife is tempting, but I'm fairly certain I'd recognise that when I saw it, and again, it doesn't seem to have the very bright red stem and central vein underneath the leaf. Stewart, thank you, not Rosebay (which as Kay comments, we all know isn't a real willowherb at all) but I'm edging towards Epilobium Montanum (broad-leaved willowherb) which Rose has as having red stems, but I can't find a single pic on the internet that shows red stems. (*tears hair out*) Rachel |
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Yours looks exactly like "the other" weedy species of Epilobium, and I'm never sure which that is, having never sat down with a key and identified it. But I noticed one yesterday in my garden, and thought "that looks exactly like the one on urg". Problem is, it only grows to about 1 foot or 18inches high. The red colouring can be a function of cultivation - eg drier soil. The one I was looking at was growing out of an old brick wall and definitely had he red colouring. So - forgive me for suggesting this - is it possible a) that you're wrong about the 3-4ft b) that the plant you've photographed is growing close to the 3-4ft one but isn't it? I have the weedy Epilobium growing in and amongst rosebay, and when I'm weeding in early spring it's easy to get them muddled, even though they are so different. Incidentally Fitter et al describe E montanum as "short to medium" which is up to 2ft. I think you're going to have to let one plant of it flower - it's the only way you're going to get an id. |
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At the time (week before last) all the examples of this weed were bright red, and all were less than a foot high, obviously all the same year's crop. I was pretty sure that it's the same Weedius Unknownii that I have weeded out elsewhere, and that gets very big. The stems were stout and sturdy, lending credence to the idea that it would attain height of more than a foot or two. So the "ultimate height" was entirely my contribution, and could have been wrong. But the general sturdiness of it does lead me to think that it's one of those "big" ones. OK, not E. montanum then.... I love, love, love the idea that the redness could be a factor of location: it was indeed dry soil, and of course it's been very dry lately. Quote:
So, this is my last chance for any further helpful suggestions? (*big pleading puppy eyes*) Rachel |
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