Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: carlrmj on July 30, 2013, 12:23
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I was hoping someone could identify this plant .
It grows all over the flower beds and in the paths next to them ,and has to be removed constantly .
If I didn't remove it , it would take over . It has blue coloured flowers on the stems
Thanks Carl
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Looks like borage to me.
Long tap root when established.
Dig it out, stop it seeding, and weed out seedlings.
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Looks a bit like my comfrey when young too!
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This is a photo of when it has been left to grow, I was also wondering if it was a type of comfrey ?
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Looks like Alkanet.
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Yes, it does look more like alkanet, than borage.
[Comfrey has bell-shaped flowers, thus I don't think it's comfrey. ]
Whatever it is, it in some interesting company [nettles, dock etc], so perhaps cut down the tops, then dig over to remove all the roots as a start?
On the other hand, some may suggest weedkillers . . . . . .
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[Comfrey has bell-shaped flowers, thus I don't think it's comfrey. ]
I didn't see the flowers at first though! I agree that the flowers look more like alkanet, although the pics I've seen the alkanet is more greyish???
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I've had a look on the net ,and I think it is alkanet .
It's started spreading again so I'll rip it up .
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I had never heard of alkanet, but thank you for identifying it, I get lots in the shaded area of my garden. I wouldn't mind it, if it was not so hard to pull out. It has some serious tap roots! I had been thinking it was some sort of comfrey, but google says it is the borage family. I am glad my true borage at the plot pulls up more easily! :)
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Alkanet does compost down well though :D
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And the insects love it!
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And the insects love it!
and Jersey Tiger Moth caterpillars eat it :D :D That's why we let it grow alongside our front fence until the end of the season.
Not in the middle of the garden though :lol:
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I would still say Borage :unsure:
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Borage leaves and flowers are a bit different DBG. Went looking for a pic and found this. You can stir-fry it! Anyone who knows about my summer stir-fry obsession will understand how this news has made my heart beat a bit faster this morning ;) :lol:
It self seeds on my plot, so now have another veg to try :D
http://wordsandherbs.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/borage-and-a-stir-fry/
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I'd initially suggested Brunnera, but their flowers are like forget-me-nots which those don't appear to be, and the plants are too tall. Brunnera also self-seeds all over the place and the seedlings are tinkers to dig up.
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Those who identified alkanet are definitely correct, I have borage and alkanet and there are definitely quite different, as I said earlier though, alkanet is from the borage family, which is probably why it is is also similar.
New Shoot learning that borage is good for stir frying is useful, I have tried it in salads raw, but the leaves are too hairy for me! If as the article suggests the hairiness is lost on stir frying, then it may be good. :)