[boogaloo]

Hi folks

In my back garden I find literally hundreds of thse things sprouting up over the course of the year - all in once corner, but utterly resilient. Every one I see I pluck out but they continue to grow. Any idea what it is? Might there be an underground root system that means these wee beggers are all just sprouts from one great evil mastermind weed? Any advice hugely appreciated!

[mumofstig]

mares tail   roots go down metres it's horrible stuff  

The only thing to do with it is keep hoeing it off, you'll gradually weaken it - and that's the best you can hope for IMO

[Ice]

Uh oh, looks like marestail or horses tail to me.

[MJS]

Mares tail, you will be fighting it all summer long. A saying on here is "never let it see a Sunday"

[boogaloo]

Thanks very much for the answers! Appreciate the quick response, but any chance someone can pop along and tell me it's an immensely rare and valuable plant that will make me a fortune??

[DD.]

For a fee, I'll come along and tell you.

[mumofstig]

^^ norty norty DD. 

[stentman]

Remove it whenever you can and follow the oft used "never let it see a Sunday" mantra and you may hold it in check. Mares tail seems resistant to almost everything, the tiniest morsel left behind will regrow and yes it really does go down to the Earths core. You can win but be prepared to have patience and perseverance for a battle that may take a while. (years even)

[boogaloo]

For a fee, I'll come along and tell you.

Just for you, DD, I'll do a deal. You tell me it for free, and I'll offer you a 5% stake in my future 'undiscovered valuable plant' fortune?

[Yorkie]

 

[DD.]

OK, just travelling expenses then.

At least I'm in the same country at the moment!

[Goosegirl]

Just to let you know that I have BOTH types - the naughty one you have the pic of, and another water-loving type that grows in the dykes by our field. I wish I taken a pic of these last ones last year before they were eaten by our sheep as they were VERY scary! One managed to raise its head in one of my my raised beds,  but was easily dug out and hasn't re-appeared since. It was about 2-3 foot high and had a horrible watery tube-like stem too. Uggggh!

[Trillium]

Despite being one of nature's stupidest creatures, sheep do have their uses by loving to eat marestail, horsetail and poison ivy.

[GrannieAnnie]

Goats are very useful too!  Just keep them away from your trees!