what plant is this?

[Nora42]

Hi I have had my allotment for a year and this plant has me stumped.

it grows in spring and at first the leaves and stems have a reddish tinge - this then turns green as the plant grows, it has many leafy soft stems in a clump at the base and doesn't need support it died down last winter and now is back.
I don't know if it's a flower plant or a vegetable, the leaves have a lettuce smell when crushed so I don't think it's a herb.
I guess it could be some sort of biennial flower and it may flower this year.
Any clues? I have looked through several books but can not identify it.

thanks Nora

[Nora42]

[steveg1966]

My first thought is Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) but the leaves do not look quite right have a look at the link below

http://www.perennialveg.org.uk/cardoon.htm 

[Duke Ellington]

It looks like the lovage I have in my garden. Lovage stems starts out reddish and turns green as it grows.

Duke.

[willsy]

If it was Lovage it would smell like celery when you crush the leaf. But doesn't look like it to me.

[Nora42]

Today I went and ate a bit it tastes of nothing neither the leaf or the stem so I don't think it's lovage either it just looks similar.

oh well I will leave it and see if this year it will flower.

who knows maybe it will.

thanks for all your input and on the subject of lovage I may just get some seeds.
Nora

[Unwashed]

My first thought was acanthus.

[star]

It looks like my Valarian. If it is the same it will grow in between 4 and 6 feet tall and creamy  frothy fowers in umbels which smell devine. Wait and see what it is.......when it does flower, remove the seed heads unless you want them absolutely everywhere 

[Digeroo]

Doesnt look like valarian to me. 

Today I went and ate a bit

I do not think it is a good idea to eat anything unless you know what it is.     Are you still alive?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

[grannyjanny]

Not valerian, we have it. I've seen lovage at the lotty & doesn't look like that either.

[Nora42]

 

Valeriana officinalis - Valerian - this is what he plant has turned out to be it is very bee happy so I will leave it until it starts to seed and then remove it as it is now so big as to cast a lot of shadow.
I will try to take a picture tomorrow.
Nora