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Produce => Non Edible Plants => Topic started by: pye on May 13, 2007, 20:57:42

Title: Plant id please
Post by: pye on May 13, 2007, 20:57:42
What's this please? I looked it up on the RHS site and I think it's brunnera macrophylla, but the under-gardener disagrees ::). We're both a bit rubbish with flowering plants.

It's about two foot tall, self seeds everywhere, leaves and stems covered in itchy silver hairs.

TIA
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: cardinalflower on May 13, 2007, 21:46:37
I have in my garden too, any ideas anyone, would love to know what it's called!
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: valmarg on May 13, 2007, 22:03:45
I think it could be Omphalodes cappadocica, common name Navelwort  Looks rather like a perennial forget-me-not.

valmarg
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: Pesky Wabbit on May 14, 2007, 01:24:28
Not sure what it is, but it aint Myosotis sylvatica (Forget-Me-Not) , they have leaves which are round ended, not pointy as in the photo, and it aint Brunnera macrophylla, it has much larger leaves

Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: laurieuk on May 14, 2007, 20:04:26
It is Brunnera Macrophylla ( perenial foget me not) almost certainly, the size of leave can vary according to soil.

Quote from: pye on May 13, 2007, 20:57:42
What's this please? I looked it up on the RHS site and I think it's brunnera macrophylla, but the under-gardener disagrees ::). We're both a bit rubbish with flowering plants.

It's about two foot tall, self seeds everywhere, leaves and stems covered in itchy silver hairs.

TIA
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: SueSteve on May 14, 2007, 20:12:24
Its an Alkanet
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: Palustris on May 14, 2007, 20:18:25
Definitely Pentaglottis sempervirens, aka Alkanet. A seed weed of the first order.
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on May 14, 2007, 20:44:02
It's all over my plot.
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: laurieuk on May 15, 2007, 11:08:12
Alkanet is another name for Anchusa, both are well illustrated together with Brunnera in Hessayon's book The Flower Expert.
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: pye on May 16, 2007, 20:39:49
Curses, so the under gardener was right.

Thanks everyone.
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: laurieuk on May 17, 2007, 08:08:18
If you check the pictures you are right it is Brunnera.

Quote from: pye on May 16, 2007, 20:39:49
Curses, so the under gardener was right.

Thanks everyone.
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: pg on May 17, 2007, 09:03:49
Thanks for identifying this - I was about to post exactly the same question!

Does this plant have any uses for the gardener? Its leaves look similar to comfrey - do you think these would also act as a 'fertiliser'?
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: RobinOfTheHood on May 20, 2007, 21:01:04
Green Alkanet!

I was going to ask exactly the same question last week but googled it instead...it's native to the continent but naturalized here.

I thought it was Borage, it is from the same family. Apparently.
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: Andy H on May 29, 2007, 18:50:17
I have the same and I thought it was comfrey as identified earlier in the year on A4A. I have been putting in my comfrey tube anyway.

I think most things are ok as fertilizer.
Just a liquid form of compost heap without the seeds.

(I think) ???
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: Amazin on May 29, 2007, 20:54:25
It's from the same family as borage and comfrey - wonder if it's got the same bee-attracting features as borage, or the nutrient supplying qualities of comfrey? Haven't found anything on the web as yet. Any ideas anyone?

???
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: saddad on May 30, 2007, 07:44:59
Rare around here... unlike borage and comfrey... but there is a bank down by the canal!
;D
Title: Re: Plant id please
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on May 30, 2007, 07:46:45
I've never noticed bees on it much.