Kitchen Garden Forum

Found this on the allotment, never seen one before & liked the reddish stalks so let it grow & now I have this with these prickles on it! Still quite attractive so may see it to the end but haven't a clue & it's overwhelming looking on the web for weeds!

Westi

Hmm, my first thought was it might be some deviant of sea holly given your location but I googled photos of that and it has few similarities apart from a thistly bit. . I think I might have seen something rather similar growing on scrublands near the pebbled beaches in Sussex which made me think t might be some seaside weed but afraid I haven,t been able to nail it down either.
If all else fails Kew Botanical gardens might be able to identify it for you, or possibly the RHS if you have a membership number you can quote. .

It's Datura stramonium or thorn apple, Westi. Turns up occasionally in hot summers. There is lots of info if you google it.

If you don't get chance to research the key point is:
"Although quite a striking plant, it is as well to be aware that all parts, particularly the seeds, are highly poisonous. It belongs to the Solanaceae, a family which includes the potato and tobacco, and many members of this family contain toxic substances".

I looked it up on the RHS website Westie. Maybe you should think twice about keeping it however attractive.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=536

Beryl.

yep, Datura, toxic and quite the bully. Once you have them, they seem to pop up everywhere!

Yes poisonous weed, we sometimes get them in the hen run. I've not seen any for a while. I did notice quite a few hemp like seedlings this morning though - doesn't smell as strong as cannabis so probably not illegal. It's interesting what comes up in the mixed bird seed.

Out it goes then before those seed pods burst open!

Thanks Everyone!

Westi

Glad I saw this, I had one growing last year under the bird feeder, I left it because I thought it was unusual and quite striking, and it died down last winter. Now I know its poisonous I will remove any more that pop up.