Weed? What is it?

[Judashascomeintosomemoney]

This has suddenly sprouted up everywhere in my front garden, under trees and shrubs. What is it and is it horrifically spreading? Should I be worried (not as worried as about Coronavirus obvs, but relatively). I can’t identify it on RHS weed checker.

PS I know the Ivy isn’t great either but that’s at least identifiable and (sort of) under control in only small areas.......

coltsfoot I think. Not good news & difficult to get rid of. We are going to clear our perennial bed this year and spray it with roundup

It is Arum maculatum ( also known as Lords & Ladies, Cuckoo Pint, Kiddy Jump Up Run Down The Lane And Kiss Me, and a host of other fantastic regional names); a rather beautiful wild flower, our only native member of the Aroid group, but, yes, inclined to be invasive. Personally I love it and have masses in my garden, it grows primarily in shady damp areas, hedgebottoms, woodland etc. Produces a brown, upright flower, ( technically a 'spadix' in the Aroid family) a bit like a vertical cigar, followed by red berries which contain the seeds.

Agree with @Beekeeper1. The berries that form later in the year are very toxic, so you might want to get rid of it if you have young children or pets.

Coltsfoot has a bigger leaf, which is more matt and they come up after the dandelion-lookalike flowers.

Like all the Aroid family it is a fascinating plant - pollinated by flies, as opposed to bees, many of its brethren smell like rotting flesh and there are hundreds of species around the world - the most spectacular being Amorphophallus titanum or 'corpse lily'! Helicodiceros musciverous or the 'dead horse arum' is another bizarre relative. Many species are quite hardy and can be grown outside in the UK, but others are more tender and need frost protection through winter. There is an 'International Aroid Society' if you find these plants as fascinating as I do!

Ah, yes, Lord and Ladies! Now you say it, I know exactly what it is. I have seen the ‘red berries’ version in amongst our trees but didn’t realise this was the same thing. It’s probably grown in some areas of the garden before now but, in dryer years, got cut back by the mower before it progressed. So water logged this year I haven’t managed to tame it yet by mowing, hence it’s spreading. Hmmmm, it does look quite nice, but I have lots of animals in and around it so suppose I should get rid. Thank you all!

we have this, I hate it, flies love it! It is toxic so wear gloves if you decide to dig it up.

Yes, arum. Probably has an ancient ecological value. Will disappear in the Autumn, but agree to take the berries off if there are small children nearby. They would play with eat and make a soup which they would then eat (mine would, but actually never did)!