Author Topic: I am unsure what these volunteers are. (Read 6488 times)

Alex_ · « **on:** March 04, 2019, 10:50:51 am »

I have a couple of plants that have sprung up by themselves. I think the smaller one is cress.

Any help would be great because then i can give them to the chickens.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** March 04, 2019, 12:11:04 pm »

I thought the rosettes were bittercress at first, but the larger leaves, if they are growing from the same plants, show that to be wrong. Bittercress is great stuff, worth encouraging to grow into large rosettes - great in a sandwich!
The larger leaves look more like a brassica.

arobwk · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2019, 09:40:24 pm »

The spear-head shaped larger leaves will, I reckon, be some sort of soft thistle and, I bet, if pinched off, they will ooze milky-white sap.
I'm holding off on the little leafy rosettes for the moment, but they do seem to be "cress" related. But then I'm also thinking "lesser celandine" as a possibility: probably not, but give 'em a few more days and they will be more easily identifiable.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2019, 11:42:27 pm »

I wondered about celandine too. It's hard to judge without touching the leaves, crushing and smelling.

Alex_ · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2019, 11:26:36 am »

Thistle makes sense because i got hit hard by them last year. I thought i had burned and poisoned it all.

Thanks everybody

Possum · « **Reply #5 on:** June 08, 2019, 11:41:56 am »

I think the first photo is Fat-hen which, as the name suggest, is loved by chickens. It is also a delicious substitute for spinach.

The second may well be celandine, or more worrying, creeping buttercup. Either way, you don't want it getting into veg or flower beds. I would get rid of it right away.