Hi all, just wondered if anyone on here has any idea what the seedlings are that keep germinating in my friend's leaf mould as I haven't got a clue lol? (The photo is below)
? Lime. (Tilia: Linden) not the lime as in green citrus fruit.
The seedling is a little out of focus.
Suggest you find out the tree from which the leaves came.
Flowers of the lime tree can be used to make a refreshing tea.
Bad news is that they produce huge trees.
Looks familiar, I'm not sure but Canary Creeper springs to mind, or am I just thinking of the flower shape?
Perhaps you could let one seedling grow a true leaf. The cotyledons are often a different shape.
It's is a Lime Tree seedling, the cotyledons are a different shape to the parent to confuse leaf munching predators.
I get those popping up in my garden sometimes. I've wondered what they were. We have a lime tree just beyond our back fence, so that makes sense.
As mentioned previously the picture is a bit out of focus so difficult to tell
My tuppence ha'porth is Ranunculus Acris (Common names; Meadow Buttercup, Tall buttercup, Showy buttercup)
A meadow land weed probably been eaten by a grazing animal, passed through the intestine and come out the back end, then added to the compost heap, later to be turned into recycled peat free / reduced mp Conpost
(http://pfaf.org/Admin/PlantImages/RanunculusAcris2.jpg)
(http://pfaf.org/Admin/PlantImages/RanunculusAcris.jpg)
Edit:
Sorry misread your query its in leaf mould so it may not have arrived via a cow pat / dung but more likely seeds have been harvested with the leaves.
In my experience, cows and horses don't touch buttercup as it burns their tongues. Expect sheep have the same problem which is why pastures cant turn yellow in late spring..........
QuoteIn my experience, cows and horses don't touch buttercup as it burns their tongues. Expect sheep have the same problem which is why pastures cant turn yellow in late spring..........
Thanks ! Now I know.....you learn something new everyday!
I checked Tee Gee and it causes blistering in the mouths and lining of the digestive tract of horses, cattle, goats and pigs.
but not sheep?
Not mentioned on the site I found. I found that odd too.
Apparently sheep will eat buttercups if that's all that's left so they need to be hard grazed and securely fenced in or they'll scarper after something tastier.
Buttercups like acid conditions so adding lime might help weaken an infestation, or borrow a sheep.
We get load of buttercups - no acid conditions here! I think you may have more success with the sheep. I lived on the north downs as a child and there were carpets of buttercups.
I wondred about that too Dogeroo. Our last garden was very fertile alkaline loam and I fought a constant battle with creeping buttercup.
Creeping buttercup is the bane of my life here! I have very heavy clay which is fairly acidic (apparently) and the lower parts are waterlogged in winter.
I'm forever digging out buttercups.