Weed or plant

[CharlieandLolaCat]

Now I know it is to some extent a matter of placement but is this a plant or a weed?

Its euphorbia (spurge), and looks like a 'plant' one ie bred/imported because it is bigger and showier than our more modest (but pretty all the same) native wood spurge.

I am envious! Can never get them to live more than a year of two in our garden and I think they're very handsome. However the sap is irtiant or possibly even toxic I believe so take care if you are touching it.

Brilliant! Thank you!

Yes, that's not one of our natives (though wood spurge can get quite large, and the naturalised caper spurge can definitely get that large). I'd guess at Euphorbia characias.

Yes, the sap is one of those that can cause your skin to be photosensitive. Touching it should be fine, but be careful where you drip the sap if you prune it - I've a small red rash on my lower leg that comes up every year in the first hot sun.

And they spread like wildfire!

And they spread like wildfire! Wood sage does, and C cyperissias. I wouldn't have said the same is true of E characias.

I think they're very pretty. They do well in the very dry and shady bed at the bottom of my garden, adding a flash of bright green.