Can anyone identify this plant please?

goldfinches

Hello and thanks for reading this message.
While weeding my new allotment I've uncovered a thriving plant my fellow allotmenteers aren't sure about so I'm hoping MSEers can help.

Here is a photo 



And here is a close up.



I can't help being suspicious that it's a weed partly because it's doing so well whereas all the good stuff is looking very 'weedy' IYSWIM! It would be lovely if it turned out to be something edible though so I'm crossing my fingers.

Keep_pedalling

I am pretty sure it is Evening Primrose.

Dustyevsky

Keep_pedalling said:

I am pretty sure it is Evening Primrose.

Agreed. Most likely Oenothera biennis. Inherited loads when we moved to our current house.

Pretty, if you like hi-vis yellow.   https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Oenothera_biennis

I much prefer the soft apricot shaded O.versicolor, but grow either to seeding stage, and you'll never need to plant another!

goldfinches

Thanks to both of you for the identification; it's going tomorrow, before it gets a chance to bloom!

Keep_pedalling

goldfinches said:

Thanks to both of you for the identification; it's going tomorrow, before it gets a chance to bloom!

Why? they sport very large pretty flowers, I would at least wait to see what variety it is.

KajiKita

It’s great for insects but hungry for space …. Some people say it’s nicely scented but it does nothing for me! 😉

KK 

Farway

Keep_pedalling said:

goldfinches said:

Thanks to both of you for the identification; it's going tomorrow, before it gets a chance to bloom!

Why? they sport very large pretty flowers, I would at least wait to see what variety it is.

Have to agree, very pretty & insect friendly, not a thug either, easy to remove if in wrong spot

twopenny

Is there a bank or hedgerow you could put it in to draw the polinating insects for your crops?
Do it just before rain and it could take.

goldfinches

It's going tomorrow sometime because I don't want to spread a plant that neighbouring plots don't want. We've got enough thistles, couch grass, dandelions, creeping buttercup, willowherb and forget-me-nots to deal with as it is, not to mention the strawberries making a valiant attempt to take over the entire site.
I may try to follow 2p's suggestion of popping it in somewhere in the woodland garden area outside our walled garden, it depends what I can find time for tomorrow.
Thanks to all for the suggestions.

delafontaine

Hi
I used plantIn app to identify plants, very usefull app

Dustyevsky

delafontaine said:

Hi
I used plantIn app to identify plants, very usefull app

But it's subscription-based, and my brain's free.

(First post recommending anything that costs, raises suspicions here.)