Can anyone kindly identify this weed?

http://tinyurl.com/7wtkbg9

It grows about 3ft to 4ft tall eventually, and is invasive. It has very
deep tuberous roots. It is very hard to kill off, because its roots go very
deep. It is becoming a problem down here in South West Dorset.

Sorry, I can't remember what the flowers look like. I always attack it
before it ever gets to the flowering stage!

Many thanks,

Jim

On 21/02/2012 11:08, Jim xzy wrote:
Can anyone kindly identify this weed?

http://tinyurl.com/7wtkbg9

It grows about 3ft to 4ft tall eventually, and is invasive. It has very
deep tuberous roots. It is very hard to kill off, because its roots go very
deep. It is becoming a problem down here in South West Dorset.

Sorry, I can't remember what the flowers look like. I always attack it
before it ever gets to the flowering stage!

Many thanks,

Jim

This is a good weed site

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/weedlf.htm

stuart noble wrote in
:

On 21/02/2012 11:08, Jim xzy wrote:
Can anyone kindly identify this weed?

http://tinyurl.com/7wtkbg9

It grows about 3ft to 4ft tall eventually, and is invasive. It has
very deep tuberous roots. It is very hard to kill off, because its
roots go very deep. It is becoming a problem down here in South West
Dorset.

Sorry, I can't remember what the flowers look like. I always attack
it before it ever gets to the flowering stage!

Many thanks,

Jim

This is a good weed site

http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/weedlf.htm


Thanks; I knew about that site, but it doesn't show anything resembling the
weed in question.

Jim

On Feb 21, 11:08*am, Jim xzy wrote:
Can anyone kindly identify this weed?

http://tinyurl.com/7wtkbg9

It grows about 3ft to 4ft tall eventually, and is invasive. It has very
deep tuberous roots. It is very hard to kill off, because its roots go very
deep. It is becoming a problem down here in South West Dorset.

Sorry, I can't remember what the flowers look like. I always attack it
before it ever gets to the flowering stage!

Many thanks,

Jim

Looks like Ground Elder to me. Can be a major nuisance I agree.
R.

On Feb 21, 11:59*am, Ragnar wrote:
On Feb 21, 11:08*am, Jim xzy wrote:

Can anyone kindly identify this weed?

http://tinyurl.com/7wtkbg9

It grows about 3ft to 4ft tall eventually, and is invasive. It has very
deep tuberous roots. It is very hard to kill off, because its roots go very
deep. It is becoming a problem down here in South West Dorset.

Sorry, I can't remember what the flowers look like. I always attack it
before it ever gets to the flowering stage!

Many thanks,

Jim

Looks like Ground Elder to me. *Can be a major nuisance I agree.
R.

PS The fresh leaves make a good soup! Don't have a recipe
unfortunately.
R. :-)

In message
,
Ragnar writes
On Feb 21, 11:08*am, Jim xzy wrote:
Can anyone kindly identify this weed?

http://tinyurl.com/7wtkbg9

It grows about 3ft to 4ft tall eventually, and is invasive. It has very
deep tuberous roots. It is very hard to kill off, because its roots go very
deep. It is becoming a problem down here in South West Dorset.

Sorry, I can't remember what the flowers look like. I always attack it
before it ever gets to the flowering stage!

Many thanks,

Jim

Looks like Ground Elder to me. Can be a major nuisance I agree.
R.

3 to 4 feet tall is on the tall side for Ground Elder. I'll second the
identification as Alexanders. But don't eat it unless you're 110% sure
of the identification - some umbellifers are seriously toxic.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Chris Hogg wrote in
:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexanders


I am pretty sure that is it! Thanks...

Yes, I have eaten the leaves and chewed a stem, after a friend told me it
was edible. No ill effects. It tasted similar to celery.

Does anyone have any tips on how to eradicate the stuff - apart from the
usual advice of continuously hacking it off below ground level?

Jim

On 21/02/2012 13:10, Jim xzy wrote:
Chris wrote in
:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexanders


I am pretty sure that is it! Thanks...

Yes, I have eaten the leaves and chewed a stem, after a friend told me it
was edible. No ill effects. It tasted similar to celery.

Don't you have to be rather careful about that since even in cultivars
of celery they have famously produced one that caused photosensitive
dermatitis in everyone that harvested it. Tasted good too apparently.

Does anyone have any tips on how to eradicate the stuff - apart from the
usual advice of continuously hacking it off below ground level?

Jim

Give it the odd dose of glyphosate every time the leaves show. Leave
three weeks and dig up what you can - repeat monthly though a season.
(also works on ground elder where every bit that breaks off the roots
will grow if you don't hit it with glyphosate first)

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Jim xzy wrote:

Yes, I have eaten the leaves and chewed a stem, after a friend told
me it was edible. No ill effects. It tasted similar to celery.



Alexanders.. have it all over the canal i look after. Quite nice to nibble
as you work

L

On Feb 21, 5:39*pm, "Les Hemmings" wrote:
Jim xzy wrote:

Yes, I have eaten the leaves and chewed a stem, after a friend told
me it was edible. No ill effects. It tasted similar to celery.

Alexanders.. *have it all over the canal i look after. Quite nice to nibble
as you work

L

I wouldn't try eating it to many similar plants that are not good to
eat.
No way can I identify it from that small rosette of under developed
leaves, could even turn into a rather nice hemloch plant

Martin wrote in
:


or eating it?

Unfortunately, I'm not a celery fan, and this stuff tastes like celery but
is not as crunchy and juicy...

On the other hand, perhaps I could start marketing "horse parsley soup".
Hey, stranger things happen...

Jim

Chris Hogg wrote in
:

Seeds itself all over the place.

When I see how it is behaving where I live, I could easily envisage it
taking over the entire country! It's as menacing as the prolific valerian!

Jim

In message , Jim xzy
writes
Chris Hogg wrote in
:

Seeds itself all over the place.

When I see how it is behaving where I live, I could easily envisage it
taking over the entire country! It's as menacing as the prolific valerian!

Currently Alexanders is mostly southern and coastal (from the Wash to
Bristol, and also on the North Wales coast). There are a moderate number
of inland records. (I'm responsible for one cluster.)

http://www.bsbimaps.org.uk/mstetrads...0&sppname=Smyr
nium olusatrum&commname=Alexanders&countback=0

Valerian is much more widespread, but it's not greatly common up this
way. Angelica is found in the same habitats, and is appreciably more
common.

Jim


--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:

Valerian is much more widespread, but it's not greatly common up this
way. Angelica is found in the same habitats, and is appreciably more
common.

Jim


When i lived in Brixham Valerian (both white and pink forms) grew on walls
everywhere! Wrong leaf..

L

In message , Les Hemmings
writes
Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:

Valerian is much more widespread, but it's not greatly common up this
way. Angelica is found in the same habitats, and is appreciably more
common.

Jim


When i lived in Brixham Valerian (both white and pink forms) grew on walls
everywhere! Wrong leaf..

L

I thought he meant (common) valerian (Valeriana officinalis), rather
than red valerian (Centranthus ruber); but perhaps he did mean the
latter. (I don't know what's common in the south west - apart from their
being a field maple wood on Portishead Down).
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley