Hello,

Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2880.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2881.jpg

I would be very grateful to find out what it is, as it has been a
challenge for weeks to find it in a book anywhere but I have so far failed!

Thanks,

Stuart

Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg


Looks as if you have a caterpillar leaving droppings over the top leaf and
the flower buds.

It reminds me a little of chicory, but that usually is branched and not such
cut leaves.(Has blue flowers)

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

In article , Stu
writes
Hello,

Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2880.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2881.jpg

I would be very grateful to find out what it is, as it has been a
challenge for weeks to find it in a book anywhere but I have so far failed!

Thanks,

Stuart

The foliage looks like a sow-thistle. I'm not confident in my ability to
distinguish the species, but perhaps the Perennial Sow-Thistle, _Sonchus
arvensis_ ("leaf spines soft"). The flower buds (and the flashes of
orange) don't say sow-thistle to me, but perhaps you've caught them at
just the wrong stage of development. Another possibility is a species of
_Crepis_, but they're not as common as _Sonchus_ (unless I'm overlooking
them as _Hieracium_), at least with that shape of leaf.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 22:03:58 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:

In article , Stu
writes
Hello,

Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2880.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2881.jpg

I would be very grateful to find out what it is, as it has been a
challenge for weeks to find it in a book anywhere but I have so far failed!

Thanks,

Stuart

The foliage looks like a sow-thistle. I'm not confident in my ability to
distinguish the species, but perhaps the Perennial Sow-Thistle, _Sonchus
arvensis_ ("leaf spines soft"). The flower buds (and the flashes of
orange) don't say sow-thistle to me, but perhaps you've caught them at
just the wrong stage of development. Another possibility is a species of
_Crepis_, but they're not as common as _Sonchus_ (unless I'm overlooking
them as _Hieracium_), at least with that shape of leaf.

Those orange flashes are almost certainly insect eggs of some kind.
--
Tim C.

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg


Looks as if you have a caterpillar leaving droppings over the top leaf and
the flower buds.

It reminds me a little of chicory, but that usually is branched and not
such
cut leaves.(Has blue flowers)

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk
--------------
So complex that it has to be suffering from 'fasciation' to some
degree. Could be Verbascum!?
Best Wishes Brian.

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg


Looks as if you have a caterpillar leaving droppings over the top leaf and
the flower buds.

It reminds me a little of chicory, but that usually is branched and not
such
cut leaves.(Has blue flowers)

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk
--------------
So complex that it has to be suffering from 'fasciation' to some
degree. Could be Verbascum!?
Best Wishes Brian.

Tim Challenger wrote:
On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 22:03:58 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:


In article , Stu
writes

Hello,

Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2880.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2881.jpg

I would be very grateful to find out what it is, as it has been a
challenge for weeks to find it in a book anywhere but I have so far failed!

Thanks,

Stuart

The foliage looks like a sow-thistle. I'm not confident in my ability to
distinguish the species, but perhaps the Perennial Sow-Thistle, _Sonchus
arvensis_ ("leaf spines soft"). The flower buds (and the flashes of
orange) don't say sow-thistle to me, but perhaps you've caught them at
just the wrong stage of development. Another possibility is a species of
_Crepis_, but they're not as common as _Sonchus_ (unless I'm overlooking
them as _Hieracium_), at least with that shape of leaf.


Those orange flashes are almost certainly insect eggs of some kind.

Thanks for your help.

The flowers certainly look like a sow thistle, but it is much bigger and
far less raggy than the perennial thistle. I am sure it is related in
some way at least.

Tim Challenger wrote:
On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 22:03:58 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:


In article , Stu
writes

Hello,

Can anyone please help me identify a plant that has shot up in my garden?

It is about 4.5 feet high and has recently begun to put out flower buds.
It is in a bright East facing corner in Surrey.

Some pictures can be found he

http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2879.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2880.jpg
http://www.stuhawkes.pwp.blueyonder....t/DSCN2881.jpg

I would be very grateful to find out what it is, as it has been a
challenge for weeks to find it in a book anywhere but I have so far failed!

Thanks,

Stuart

The foliage looks like a sow-thistle. I'm not confident in my ability to
distinguish the species, but perhaps the Perennial Sow-Thistle, _Sonchus
arvensis_ ("leaf spines soft"). The flower buds (and the flashes of
orange) don't say sow-thistle to me, but perhaps you've caught them at
just the wrong stage of development. Another possibility is a species of
_Crepis_, but they're not as common as _Sonchus_ (unless I'm overlooking
them as _Hieracium_), at least with that shape of leaf.


Those orange flashes are almost certainly insect eggs of some kind.

Thanks for your help.

The flowers certainly look like a sow thistle, but it is much bigger and
far less raggy than the perennial thistle. I am sure it is related in
some way at least.

In article , Stu
writes

The flowers certainly look like a sow thistle, but it is much bigger and
far less raggy than the perennial thistle. I am sure it is related in
some way at least.

I'm not sure what you mean by much bigger; according to the books both
the perennial (_S. arvensis_) and marsh (_S. palustris_) sow-thistles
can reach 5 feet.

The sow thistles aren't particularly close to the _Cirsium_ and
_Carduus_ thistles; the former is in tribe Lactuceae with the lettuces,
dandelions, goatsbeards, etc, and the latter in tribe Cardueae with the
burdocks, knapweeds, etc.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In article , Stu
writes

The flowers certainly look like a sow thistle, but it is much bigger and
far less raggy than the perennial thistle. I am sure it is related in
some way at least.

I'm not sure what you mean by much bigger; according to the books both
the perennial (_S. arvensis_) and marsh (_S. palustris_) sow-thistles
can reach 5 feet.

The sow thistles aren't particularly close to the _Cirsium_ and
_Carduus_ thistles; the former is in tribe Lactuceae with the lettuces,
dandelions, goatsbeards, etc, and the latter in tribe Cardueae with the
burdocks, knapweeds, etc.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In article , Stu
writes

The flowers certainly look like a sow thistle, but it is much bigger and
far less raggy than the perennial thistle. I am sure it is related in
some way at least.


I'm not sure what you mean by much bigger; according to the books both
the perennial (_S. arvensis_) and marsh (_S. palustris_) sow-thistles
can reach 5 feet.

The sow thistles aren't particularly close to the _Cirsium_ and
_Carduus_ thistles; the former is in tribe Lactuceae with the lettuces,
dandelions, goatsbeards, etc, and the latter in tribe Cardueae with the
burdocks, knapweeds, etc.

I am comparing it to "wild" thistles I see, which tend to be smaller due
to the poorer soil they are living in. This has shot up though, as it is
in an area with lovely soil.

Thanks for your advice!

Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In article , Stu
writes

The flowers certainly look like a sow thistle, but it is much bigger and
far less raggy than the perennial thistle. I am sure it is related in
some way at least.


I'm not sure what you mean by much bigger; according to the books both
the perennial (_S. arvensis_) and marsh (_S. palustris_) sow-thistles
can reach 5 feet.

The sow thistles aren't particularly close to the _Cirsium_ and
_Carduus_ thistles; the former is in tribe Lactuceae with the lettuces,
dandelions, goatsbeards, etc, and the latter in tribe Cardueae with the
burdocks, knapweeds, etc.

I am comparing it to "wild" thistles I see, which tend to be smaller due
to the poorer soil they are living in. This has shot up though, as it is
in an area with lovely soil.

Thanks for your advice!

If this plant has now got its flowers open then it would make identification
much easier.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

If this plant has now got its flowers open then it would make identification
much easier.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk