Common hogweed by the roadside
Since investigating the mystery plant in my garden, I've learnt to recognise hogweed and spotted lots of the common kind growing by the roadside near here. As well as being able to harvest it next year, it should also help with identifying my mystery plant. I was fairly sure it was hogweed, but couldn't tell whether it's giant or common. One feature that would help would be the flowers. Both have
umbrellatype flowers, but the shape differs, so if I examine the flowers of my mystery plant carefully and compare it with those by the roadside, maybe I can tell whether it's giant hogweed or not.
My mystery plant is now flowering. Here it is:
Mystery plant
Let's take a close look at one of those flower heads:
Mystery plant flower head
Hmm, that would appear to be not hogweed. It's not even an umbellifer! Right, back to square one, then. Any ideas on ID of a plant that has leaves like giant hogweed and flowers like round teasels? It's currently about five feet tall.
I'm fairly sure your mystery plant is Globe Thistle, but give it a google and see what you think. My mum used to have them growing in her garden.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant - I do believe you've got it! Thank you for that :-) Even better, that means I can look forward to the flowers turning purple. I did wonder whether they were fully out yet.
DeleteThe bees around here just love the Blue Globe Thistle blooms and the plants make a nice blue note amidst the pink coneflowers.
ReplyDeleteToo late to say "I know, I know!". Echinops. There, I got to say it! The flowers are a really pretty blue colour.
ReplyDelete