Can you identify these mystery ‘cuckoo’ seedlings and win a wildlife friendly prize?
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Gardening | 21 comments
Photo: Agave and mystery plantlets
Help!
I bought this agave plant from the wayside stand outside the secret garden last autumn. Yes, I know that it’s hard to see it as the “cuckoo” seedlings are rearing to go. All plants, whatever the value are 40p (33p if you buy three, which I always do). So I was delighted with this bargain. Agaves are great. Just ask S and The Chicken Lady – they have loads of argaves. And I agree with them. A good argave in a hot summer is a perfect focal point in a garden.
This new agave was coddled in the greenhouse this winter and for the last four months has hosted these mystery ‘cuckoo’ seedlings. They were strong from the moment that they appeared. So beefy that I thought that they might be tree seedlings. Now I’m not so sure. Could they be babies of a superb and rare shrub?
The secret garden is a wonderful place full of unusual plants. So I’m loathe to toss the seedlings into the compost bin without asking the experts. I’ve traipsed the Internet looking for clues as to what these seedlings could be and drawn a complete and utter blank. I must admit the red stems are intriguing – if they had had green stems I might have ignored the call to arms and tossed them.
Photo: Close up of plantlets
If you can point me in the right direction (photos and description) a small but very wildlife friendly mystery prize awaits the first person to identify these seedlings correctly.
The challenge starts now!
Leave a reply
Hi Beccy
You are the winner. Fair and square. Send me your address via the contact us tab and the mystery prize will wing its way to you next week!
Hello Catofstripes
It would have been great if they were the plant that you mentioned. Sob ?
Hi Magic Cochin
Yes Beccy got a hole in one. I had never heard of Himalayan Balsam…
Hi Wendy
As space is limited I agree. This plant is not going to grow in our garden!
Hi Joanna
How come everyone knows about HB apart from me? Lucky I have friends who point me in the right direction!
Hi Brightspark
No it’s definitely HB. Blow it..
Hi LindaM
The more I research HB the more I think that it is HB. Which is a shame as it seemed a promising new arrival in the garden.
Hi Jude
Well done, spot on!
Hi Brightspark
I can see where you are coming from but it’s HB.
Hi KateUK
I wish that I was that vigorous…
Hi Paula
It just seems to like the name HB. Mysterious and clearly monstrous ?
Hi Tamar
You are so right. I’m gutted.
Hello Z
You gave me hope. I had the perfect patch for it (riddled with ground elder). But Danny was all for not introducing it into the garden. Another friend gave us a weed from the local WI market stand. It’s a nightmare and a curse. He’s bored with the constant exclamations of wrath regarding this weed so I can’t blame him.
Hi Jess
Thanks for the rubber stamp. Much appreciated!
Hello Mandi
Relax. HB is from the impatiens family but your plants are fine and non invasive.
Hi Kate UK
Thanks for that!
How timely is this! I just heard a clip on the radio that teams of volunteers are spending a whole week from today uprooting Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed from the UK National Trust estates and lands.
Public enemy #1?
p.s. Himalayan Balsam is a member of the impatiens family.
I’m a little worried now as as soon as looked at the picture I thought ‘they look like those 2 plants I am growing in my green house’ :S the plants in my green house aren’t that tall though and were sold in a mixed lot from suttons saying they were a new mexican breed of busy lizzie that ground covers 3ft square… I know busy lizzie is impatiens family so I’m hoping thats where the similarity ends. They called them Sunpatiens.
Definetly Himalayan balsam. I live quite close to a river and have found a few of these dotted around in my flower beds.
x
I used to have Himalayan balsam in a very dry spot in a previous garden – it was no problem at all. The seedlings are easy to pull up and, although it seeds prolifically, you can always dead-head it – anyway, it’s an annual and only just hardy. It’s really fun to touch the seed heads and watch the seeds explode outwards. I’d welcome it, under careful control, in my garden – I’d much rather have it than the ground elder and tansy I’m plagued with.
I don’t have the foggiest idea what it is, although the consensus seems to be Himalayan balsam. I’m just writing to express sympathy for discovering an exciting mystery plant only to find out it’s something you have to burn.
I dunno, but I sure hope its name isn’t Audrey!
Himalayan Balsam,without doubt. It will take over your garden.Your neighbours’ gardens. The riverbank and pond sides for miles around….if you crush the leaves it will have a faintly balsamic scent, which is strong, particularly in the evenings, when it flowers. The absurd lushness of growth and the way the stems are jointed really gives them away as being balsam. Destroy before it seeds as it sets thousands of seeds and flings them all over the place, which is why it is on the Government list of invasive weeds along with Japanese Knotweed. Beautiful, but you really, really do NOT want it, once it seeds, you will have it forever! You don’t need to burn them- just pull them up BEFORE they flower as it is the seeds that do the damage, sheer numbers and stupendous germination rate, and trust me, they set seed very,very fast after blooming.
… or is it Leycesteria formosa (pheasant berry) – normally has green stems, but ours are purpley-green.
http://www.variegatedfoliage.com/S-Leycesteria_Golden_Lanterns_jpeg.jpg