Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: Limey153 on June 02, 2014, 12:06

Title: plant identification
Post by: Limey153 on June 02, 2014, 12:06

Hi there folks, I have recently acquired an allotment and am fairly new to gardening, I want to try and save as many plants as I can on my plot but am having some trouble identifying them and telling them apart from weeds (the plot I took on was very overgrown). Can anyone here identify what these two plants are (or indeed if they are weeds), the first of the two pictures have flower heads that have not yet come out. Both plants are not too widespread around the plot which leads me to think that they may not be weeds. The previous occupant of the allotment grew a lot of flowers as well as veggies hence why I thought it might be best to post this in general gardening.

(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg7/Limey153/20140531_115402.jpg) (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/Limey153/media/20140531_115402.jpg.html)

(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg7/Limey153/20140531_170630.jpg) (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/Limey153/media/20140531_170630.jpg.html)

Title: Re: plant identification
Post by: Goosegirl on June 02, 2014, 12:37

I think the first one is a poppy - Papaver somniferum (the one opium is made from) - not illegal to grow so don't worry. I think the second one could be Lychnis coronaria which has simple white or very deep pink-red flowers or, if the leaves feel felty, it could be Stachys byzantina (Lamb's ears) but I don't think it is that.

Title: Re: plant identification
Post by: Limey153 on June 02, 2014, 13:05

Thank you for the reply 'Goosegirl', I have just googled your two suggestions and I reckon you might be spot on. The images that google provides do look exactly like what I have on the plot, also the plant in the second image does indeed have leaves that feel felty.

Thank you ever so much, I know not to go pulling them out now.

Title: Re: plant identification
Post by: JayG on June 02, 2014, 16:49

Agree with opium poppy - having grown Lychnis coronaria for quite a few years in my front garden, but having never thought of feeling the leaves until today, I can confirm that mine at least has furry leaves (although not as furry as Lamb's ears!  :lol:)

Lychinis seems to be a short-lived perennial or even a biennial, but it self-seeds very readily (everywhere!)

Title: Re: plant identification
Post by: Goosegirl on June 03, 2014, 11:18

Thank you, Limey. They should look nice together with leaf contrast and the flowers too.