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Produce => Non Edible Plants => Topic started by: GrannieAnnie on October 12, 2010, 18:48:42

Title: Identify please?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 12, 2010, 18:48:42
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/nonrancher/IMG_0934.jpg)

I have little lambs ears but this seeded itself in the pathway and has huge ear!
Just wondering what it is. A weed?
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: goodlife on October 12, 2010, 21:00:18
look like Verbascum= Mullein..there is few different species, but without flowers is difficult to say which it is.
I suspect that next summer you will have tall silvery spike coming out of that rosette with lots of small yellow flowers on it..and then millions of seeds.. ;D..just what you want ;)..no..not a weed...
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: saddad on October 12, 2010, 21:06:13
I agree a verbascum... probably the "wild" one... it's a weed if you don't want it...  :-X
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 12, 2010, 21:21:51
thank you, both. I thought verbascum had a leathery leaf so now I've learned something new.
After looking it up just now it appears there are more than 100 or so varieties. I may just have
to let it grow another year to satisfy my curiosity as to what dropped here.

It is interesting how many things love to germinate in a gravel path!

Thank you again :D You are great.
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: goodlife on October 12, 2010, 21:39:26
Annie..I was thinking this sort of Verbascum..not the 'garden' varieties..but wild sort..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum_thapsus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum_thapsus)
If you look the page it list hybrids..
I like these..I've got some in my hedge bottom..and I always leave some to self-seed...just for fun
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: gp.girl on October 12, 2010, 22:35:52
If you are lucky you'll get some lovely catepillars on it........ ;D
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 12, 2010, 22:38:06
Now THAT I don't need. Have enough caterpillars and maybe enough potential weeds.
Maybe the compost pile wins the verbascum afterall.
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: gp.girl on October 12, 2010, 22:43:03
Moth ones, can be really spectactular and won't attach your crops!
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: goodlife on October 12, 2010, 22:43:19
Ahh...but think of it this way..if the caterpillars feed on your verbascum..they'll feed less with other things.. ;)..not that I've noticed any on my vebascum.. ::)
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: goodlife on October 12, 2010, 22:43:59
 ;D snap  ;D
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: ACE on October 13, 2010, 08:34:55
We have a pest that we call a verbascum moth, it ain't the right name for it but the mallyshags will strip a plant in days. So don't encourage them as they don't seem to know the difference between your prize plants and the wild ones.

I lost a whole batch of show plants that were badly needed for a garden show one year. Cost us a few quid to replace them.
Title: Re: Identify please?
Post by: Unwashed on October 13, 2010, 21:17:13
I grew the giant verbascums on the plot last year just to attract the verbascum moths, and I wasn't disappointed.  They're very colourful.