Is this a weed?

newbieni

Hi All,

I assume this is a weed. If so, what's the best way to treat it as it's in an awkward location?

Thanks in advance.

35har1old

newbieni said:

Hi All,

I assume this is a weed. If so, what's the best way to treat it as it's in an awkward location?

Thanks in advance.

Could be a Foxglove

DodgyDave88

@alantitchmarsh

fatbelly

Looks like a year one foxglove. Should produce a nice flower spike next year and then seed. If you don't want it to seed then when the flowers start to go give it a good pull by the flower spike and it should come out clean. They are not deep rooted.

I like foxgloves and have been trying to cultivate white ones. So far, everything has come up purple.

Farway

Agree with the others, it's foxglove. 

Bees love them, and so do any children you may know for flower finger puppets

You'll get thousands of seeds from them, sprinkle them around, and you have free flowers for the rest of your life

twopenny

I've got them seeded into the driest area by the path wall and I thought about pulling them out but left to see.
I really enjoyed them as did the bees.
Cut off the seeding bits and did save some seed to plant elsewhere.
 Mine have come from 2 doors away and a pretty cream.

FlorayG

If you don't want it there then it's a weed
Definition of a weed; any plant growing where you don't want it to
If it's foxglove you can just pull it out, they don't have very big roots

Slinky

Could it be alkanet? Looks quite similar to foxgloves.

Zanderman

Slinky said:

Could it be alkanet? Looks quite similar to foxgloves.

Agree, looks like alkanet to me, not foxglove

Dustyevsky

It's immaterial whether the plant is a foxglove or alkanet. It's taken up residence at the base of a recently painted wooden structure, so if that has value, the plants should go. 

While they stay, the leaves will create shade, reduce air movement, keep the wood damp, and harbour creatures that exploit any rot.

Something tells me they've probably already gone!

Slinky

Dustyevsky said:

It's immaterial whether the plant is a foxglove or alkanet. It's taken up residence at the base of a recently painted wooden structure, so if that has value, the plants should go. 

While they stay, the leaves will create shade, reduce air movement, keep the wood damp, and harbour creatures that exploit any rot.

Something tells me they've probably already gone!

If it's alkanet it could well still be there. They have very deep taproots and are difficult to remove, particularly when in an awkward locatiion such as where the OP has them. I've got some I'm pulling the tops off in the hope that they eventually give up and die. The roots are under a concrete path.