Unusual Plant in my Garden

wildebus

wildebus

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Cleaning up a raised border and had this plant there and unsure what it was or what to do with it

IMG_20250506_092100_963
This was taken on 6th May. Uploaded a photo to CHATGPT and advised as follows....
The plant in your image appears to be a young comfrey (Symphytum officinale) or a closely related species like common mullein (Verbascum thapsus)—both are common in the UK and have large, fuzzy leaves.​
Based on your photo, the texture looks more like mullein due to the light green, fuzzy look of the leaves and the upright rosette form. However, feel the leaves—if they’re extremely soft and fuzzy, it's likely mullein. If they’re rough and not velvety, it may be comfrey.​

Apparently regarded as a weed generally, but I was intrigued to see how it would fare so left it.
Took another photo on the 13th June

IMG_20250613_114732_844

Fair bit taller and turning into a bit of a Triffid, so wondering how far this will grow!

New photo today on 30th June, 17 days after the previous one and it's a bit of a monster :)

IMG_20250630_193625_071

Uploaded the new photo to ChatGPT and this is the reply
Thanks for the update — and wow, what a transformation!​
Based on this new photo, your plant is definitely Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus). ​
(and some suggestions what to do next)

🌱 What to Do:​

  • Let it flower — it's already looking impressive.
  • If you don’t want more mullein next year, remove the spike before seeds form (or pull the plant after flowering finishes).
  • If you like it, let it seed and thin the seedlings next spring as needed.

Apparently it is a Biennial and flowers in year 2 (never noticed this plant last year though?) and after finishing flowering will die. It sounds like it is a plant that will grow anywhere without much help so I'll probably gather the flowers (seeds?) and distribute them in the front driveway border as a row of these will look pretty funky I think :)

Using ChatGPT to ID the plant was very handy as when I first saw it, to me (a definate non-gardener) it just looked like cabbage leaves :)
 
ChatGPT? Google lens would have identified it straight away! 😊
 
Yes, it's weed, Trev. Cannabis.

But you knew that, didn't you. 🤣
 
Your mullein is a thug, David, and will seed around vociferously. You have been warned! ;) 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

It's a great plant for bees, butterflies and other insects though, and it is a British native wildflower. 🤷‍♀️

Lots of them could look quite nice in a big bunch along your driveway border (if a bit same-y?), but if you let any of the plants go to seed be prepared to have seedlings appearing in every nook and cranny available ad infinitum for years and years to come, and not just neatly and obligingly in your garden beds and borders! :cool:😄
 
mariesnowgoose said:
Your mullein is a thug, David, and will seed around vociferously. You have been warned! ;) 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

It's a great plant for bees, butterflies and other insects though, and it is a British native wildflower. 🤷‍♀️

Lots of them could look quite nice in a big bunch along your driveway border (if a bit same-y?), but if you let any of the plants go to seed be prepared to have seedlings appearing in every nook and cranny available ad infinitum for years and years to come, and not just neatly and obligingly in your garden beds and borders! :cool:😄
Click to expand...
I don't mind a row of like-plants in a border that would otherwise be left. Right now I've just put bark chippings on the driveway border and have a few weeds popping up plus a few ornemental onions, which are weird things :D Maybe the Mulleins will take all the water and goodness to stop other weeds coming up around it?
Have to watch them on the driveway then maybe but? Just spent a few hours yesterday clearing the weeds from the gravel :(
I better collect the dropped flowers/seeds from the border though, as the particular border this mullein this is in I wouldn't really choose for it (more of a 'low plant' border as maybe the last photo shows?)
 
I would suggest caution David.

I saw a lovely single plant that appeared in my garden, Bears Breeches. Every tiny piece of rubbery root digs down and becomes a massive new plant as it tries to take over the world.

I still haven't killed it off, but I will.
 
HurricaneSmith said:
I would suggest caution David.

I saw a lovely single plant that appeared in my garden, Bears Breeches. Every tiny piece of rubbery root digs down and becomes a massive new plant as it tries to take over the world.

I still haven't killed it off, but I will.
Click to expand...
I have one of those 'knotweed' type plants that spreads along the ground and takes over. Horrible sticky stuff but just about cleared the garden of it.

Something that I have dotted around which is very annoying is this 'grass clump' thing

Has a long root that seems to travel just below the surface and links to more clumps. Fortunately it is easy to remove as shallow roots but time-consuming as spread all over the place.
main project is this I guess ...

Bit overgrown as part of the garden never go into, but gets the best of the sun
Bit of weedkiller and bit of a different picture a week later ...

But those blooming weeds have a habit of growing back and back to step one this year :(
 
wildebus said:
Cleaning up a raised border and had this plant there and unsure what it was or what to do with it

IMG_20250506_092100_963
This was taken on 6th May. Uploaded a photo to CHATGPT and advised as follows....
The plant in your image appears to be a young comfrey (Symphytum officinale) or a closely related species like common mullein (Verbascum thapsus)—both are common in the UK and have large, fuzzy leaves.​
Based on your photo, the texture looks more like mullein due to the light green, fuzzy look of the leaves and the upright rosette form. However, feel the leaves—if they’re extremely soft and fuzzy, it's likely mullein. If they’re rough and not velvety, it may be comfrey.​

Apparently regarded as a weed generally, but I was intrigued to see how it would fare so left it.
Took another photo on the 13th June

IMG_20250613_114732_844

Fair bit taller and turning into a bit of a Triffid, so wondering how far this will grow!

New photo today on 30th June, 17 days after the previous one and it's a bit of a monster :)

IMG_20250630_193625_071

Uploaded the new photo to ChatGPT and this is the reply
Thanks for the update — and wow, what a transformation!​
Based on this new photo, your plant is definitely Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus). ​
(and some suggestions what to do next)

🌱 What to Do:​

  • Let it flower — it's already looking impressive.
  • If you don’t want more mullein next year, remove the spike before seeds form (or pull the plant after flowering finishes).
  • If you like it, let it seed and thin the seedlings next spring as needed.

Apparently it is a Biennial and flowers in year 2 (never noticed this plant last year though?) and after finishing flowering will die. It sounds like it is a plant that will grow anywhere without much help so I'll probably gather the flowers (seeds?) and distribute them in the front driveway border as a row of these will look pretty funky I think :)

Using ChatGPT to ID the plant was very handy as when I first saw it, to me (a definate non-gardener) it just looked like cabbage leaves :)
Click to expand...
Apparently very good to firk back into the soil as a feed in the autumn
 
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