# What's this?



## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Does anyone recognise this?. I thought when it first started growing it was a geranium, looking at the leaves, but its got bigger and bigger and now has a lot of buds on the top. I can't remember if its something I planted or if it has self seeded. I'll know when the flowers come out.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

It looks familiar but I can't think where I've seen it before. Sorry not much help but please take some photos when the flowers come out to put us out of our misery.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> It looks familiar but I can't think where I've seen it before. Sorry not much help but please take some photos when the flowers come out to put us out of our misery.


Will do


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Cannabis :Jawdrop :Hilarious - sorry it is similar but it isn't really cannabis. It does look very familiar


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

crown fritillary ? comes in orange, yellow and white mainly

http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/friti2.jpg

stinks like cat pee when it comes up, if it is that


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## Greydrift (Oct 13, 2015)

It does look familiar. Maybe scabious?


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## Catharinem (Dec 17, 2014)

Some variety of delphinium?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Could it be some kind of Knautia?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Just been in my garden and I have something with a very similar leaf, which is a White Glade Mallow.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

lymorelynn said:


> Cannabis :Jawdrop :Hilarious - sorry it is similar but it isn't really cannabis. It does look very familiar


Ha ha, that's what my OH said.



mrs phas said:


> crown fritillary ? comes in orange, yellow and white mainly
> 
> http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/friti2.j
> 
> stinks like cat pee when it comes up, if it is that


Don't think its that, different leaves.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Charity said:


> Ha ha, that's what my OH said. Don't think its that, different leaves.


Could it be something like Tagetes Minuta? It is a form of marigold that some people plant to kill couch grass and ground elder.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

What an exciting mystery! I love having a mystery volunteer in the garden don't you?


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

QOTN said:


> Could it be something like Tagetes Minuta? It is a form of marigold that some people plant to kill couch grass and ground elder.


Again, very similar, but the leaves aren't quite the same. The one on mine has a pronged type leaf whereas the Tagetes M are straight by the look of it.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Looks like monkshood to me


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

simplysardonic said:


> Looks like monkshood to me


There you go  I think that is the one


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

lymorelynn said:


> There you go  I think that is the one


FYI poisonous


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

simplysardonic said:


> Looks like monkshood to me


Must admit it does look like it . Am checking with folks on Gardeners World.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

_A Warning About Aconitum Monkshood All members of the genus Aconitum, monkshood included, are poisonous. In fact, wolfsbane, that other common name, came about from using the ground root of perennial monkshood in meaty bait to kill the once hated animals. It should never be grown within reach of children or pets and all parts of the plant are toxic, including the sap, so appreciate its beauty in the garden and not as a cut flower. To prevent absorption through the skin, wear gloves when you are gardening around monkshood. In the case of the monkshood plant, beauty comes with a price. Please be careful.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Aconitum Monkshood: What Is The Best Way To Grow Monkshood In The Garden _http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/monkshood/growing-monkshood-plants.htm


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Actually the pictures of the monkshood plant leaves I found (it isn't easy to find pics of the plant itself instead of flowers) don't look a whole lot like your pictures.

Here's one showing the leaves. What do you think?

http://toptropicals.com/pics/garden/m1/Podarki5/Aconitum09IrChe.jpg


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Thank you all for your suggestions and links. Two people came up with what I'm pretty certain is the right answer and almost the right answer. I pitched my question on the Gardeners World forum and it was suggested to me that this is Delphinium (Larkspur) - well done Catharinem.  Researching it further, it certainly does look the same as has the exact same leaves. I had to laugh as it said it is hard to grow from seed, obviously not in my garden. I definitely know now I didn't plant it.
















Hooray I thought, heaving a sigh of relief, its not Monkshood, (good thinking simplysardonic) only to then read it comes from the same Aconite family and is toxic to animals, :Nailbiting and I quote - _Very young delphinium plants and delphinium seeds are poisonous. If ingested, they can cause nausea, twitching muscles, paralysis, and even death.
_
As I am pretty paranoid about toxic plants in the garden because of the cats, sadly, it is going to have to go.  Its totally in the wrong place as well but I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt just once had it been a nice, friendly and safe plant as I was looking forward to seeing what flowers it produced and I would have re-planted it elsewhere in the garden.

Puzzle solved!

_

_


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Charity said:


> Thank you all for your suggestions and links. Two people came up with what I'm pretty certain is the right answer and almost the right answer. I pitched my question on the Gardeners World forum and it was suggested to me that this is Delphinium (Larkspur) - well done Catharinem.  Researching it further, it certainly does look the same as has the exact same leaves. I had to laugh as it said it is hard to grow from seed, obviously not in my garden. I definitely know now I didn't plant it.
> 
> View attachment 273759
> View attachment 273761
> ...


Yeah, they are related.

I'm the same, both monkshood & delphs are beautiful but I won't risk them in my garden with the animals


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

At long last, my mystery plant is starting to flower. Its huge now and I must admit I'm not convinced its a delphinium as the flower buds are very short. As soon as I saw the flowers, I thought mallow and I'm inclined to think Lurcherlad might be right in that its a glade mallow. Any thoughts? Excuse the blackfly, they've only taken up residence on this stalk.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Definitely looks like a mallow now it's flowering  although never seen one with such interesting leaves!

At least you don't have to worry about it being toxic!


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

Found these online, they look the same, same leaves and flowers. They are a poppy mallow.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

It's Musk Mallow (Malva moschata), a lovely native wild flower.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

In all its glory at the moment


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Oh. Now I can see more of the flower structure, it looks more like Sidalcea - another of the mallow family. Musk Mallow doesn't have flower spikes like those.


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