Is this "weed" ?

Rog · #1 (**permalink**) 12-10-2009, 12:02 PM

My wife thinks this may be a certain "not-exactly-legal" plant. It has grown beneath our bird feeder, so all kinds of strange seeds are around.

I don't think it is, but not being anything like an expert, I don't really know.

Can anyone identify please !

Jim Ford · #2 (**permalink**) 12-10-2009, 12:26 PM

Looks like ground elder, which was apparently introduced and eaten by the Romans.

Jim

Hedera · #3 (**permalink**) 12-10-2009, 12:29 PM

The other "weed" has much narrower leaflets, deeply serrated!

thunder · #4 (**permalink**) 12-10-2009, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hedera

The other "weed" has much narrower leaflets, deeply serrated!

And the variety that comes from bird seed would not be of any recreational use

(Unless you wanted to tie knots!)

henrya

Rog · #5 (**permalink**) 14-10-2009, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thunder

And the variety that comes from bird seed would not be of any recreational use

(Unless you wanted to tie knots!)

henrya

Damn ! I'll get rid of it then

Actually, Mrs Rog has repotted it just to see what it ends up as

wildherbalian85 · #6 (**permalink**) 15-10-2009, 07:17 AM

Is it possible though for the Hemp seed found in some bird foods to actually germinate?? I though it was all kiln dried. I also heard apparently they use tobacco seeds in some food, this surely is not true?? The seeds would contain alkaloids would they not.. like most other plants of the Nightshade family.

Anyway the "other" weed has five or 7 individual leaves making up the leaf... this is not.

davidbr · #7 (**permalink**) 20-10-2009, 05:28 PM

"Bird seed aliens" are a major source of casual introduced plants so, yes, they certainly can germinate - most, though, won't be frost-hardy, hence only persist for one season.

According to my copy of Alien Plants of the British Isles, several species of Nicotiana, tobacco-plant, have been recorded via this route - as well as quite a few other members of the nightshade family.

And just to prove it (though I'm not sure where this one came from), growing happily out of pure sand at the top of Weston-super-Mare beach last October...

Hemp (Cannabis sativa)

Rog · #8 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidbr

And just to prove it (though I'm not sure where this one came from), growing happily out of pure sand at the top of Weston-super-Mare beach last October...

Hemp (Cannabis sativa)

So . . . . . off to the beach then !