Mystery Plant ID

[Millymollymandy]

If you remember, my mum brought me over 3 teeny little bits of comfrey in June, one of which turned out to be something completely different. I've finally got round to taking some photos and wonder if anyone recognises it and whether I am cultivating a weed or not. If not I guess I could send a print out to my mum who'd probably recognise it!

Comfrey.jpg (97.24 KiB) Viewed 3762 times

And this is a closer up of the mystery plant, but you'll need to click on it as you can see it better that way.

Mystery plant.jpg (149.53 KiB) Viewed 3021 times

I'm assuming the two others ARE comfrey!

[Shirley]

not sure - the mystery plant looks more comfrey-ish to me

[Odsox]

Looks exactly like my comfrey.
I could take a photo of mine later if you like.

Edited to say that the other two don't look anything like my comfrey, so you could have two varieties ... or the others are the interlopers.

[John Headstrong]

yep, I agree, the 'mystery plant' is comfrey

it is the other 2 that are the mystery

[Odsox]

Here's a picture of one of my comfrey plants.
Interestingly it's the one I scalped about two weeks ago to make up another batch of comfrey tea.
Just shows you how fast it grows when you take it out of it's flower pot.
This one is Russian Comfrey by the way .........

Comfrey.jpg (106.43 KiB) Viewed 3697 times

[Odsox]

Just looked at your other two plants MMM and they look very much like some sort of Primula to me.
It's too early for a common primrose to have that much growth in August, but could be some other variety.
Does your Mum have any candelabra primulas in her garden, they like to grow in moist places just like comfrey.
Time will tell of course when or if they flower.

[Shirley]

can we get a close up of the leaves on the other two please M3 - they look kind of spiny.

[Millymollymandy]

But we discussed all this on my comfrey thread - that comfrey leaves are spiky and can give you a rash. The other plant isn't spiky at all.

Anyway how silly - I have been repotting these other horrible spiky things thinking they were the comfrey yet not bothering with the 'weed'.

Odsox mum's comfrey isn't growing in a moist place, it's growing on a grassy bank. Her garden isn't particularly moisture retaining either, though not mega dry like mine And no I don't think she has any of those primulas.

I'll have to take another photo of the spiky ones on macro - didn't know how to use it yesterday as it's my OH's fancy camera.

I'm really pissed off!

[Millymollymandy]

Same photo but click on it for a better view of the spiky leaved plants.

Spiky plants.jpg (224.05 KiB) Viewed 3021 times

The leaves are really nasty and have like little spiked hooks all over them. I've googled and googled but can't find anything of the primula family with spiky leaves like this.

By the way my neighbour gave me a 'different' primrose (her words) and it flowered a few weeks ago and is a kind of mini cowslip. So they don't all flower at the right time of year!

[jampot]

i agree osdsox the others look very much like primrose (primula)

[Ron and Jean]

could it be teasel?

[Ron and Jean]

I just found this image of teasel : http://www.co.stevens.wa.us/weedboard/o ... s/tsl1.jpg
It looks very similar. The other one does look like foxglove. Are the leaves slightly velvety.

I suppose you will find out in time.
lol

[Millymollymandy]

Teasel that does look very much like the leaves - off to google it!

The other isn't a foxglove as I have them all over the place - it is I assume the comfrey as everyone said. It bloody better be!

Please let me have at least ONE comfrey plant!!!!!!!!!!!

And please will my mother go to the opticians!!! (not that I could tell the difference when they were all 1" tall!)

[Millymollymandy]

Aaarrgh I think it is a teasel - well at least the birds will like them. I'm quite sure my mum doesn't have them in her garden but I expect they get weeded out.

Now I'd better go and repot my comfrey and start giving it some tlc and put those ratty leaves in the compost!

[Shirley]

I'm jealous of your teasels - I LOVE them and would love to have one so that I could take photos of the magnificent flowers.

I did think your comfrey looked a bit like a foxglove in the first instance but fairly sure it's comfrey. Time will tell.