It's a weed isn't it? ID help please.

[MaryHill]

Some ID help please.

This plant has grown exponentially ( therefore I suspect it's a weed) in my garden from under a hydraenga. It's about a metre high.

Is it bugloss? The leaves are hairy but the flowers are pink.

It's very happy where it is. Should it stay or should it go?

Thanks!

Well I always say a weed is any plant growing where you don't want it. So keep it if you like it.

It looks like willow herb to me, it's a weed but lovely flowers which bees love.

Thanks - Yeah you're right about a weed in the wrong place but not sure if I like this one or not. There is too much lush greenery going on for such a wee flower, so its not really earning its space beside the hydraenga greenery. Maybe not a metre high, but a good 80cm. Don't think its rose bay - have some of that too!

It’s white campion

erm ... It's got a pink flower! It's red campion, Silene dioica. A wild flower, happy in shade. It will have a lot more flowers, it's only just starting its long season. But it's not endangered, so you can get rid of it if you want.

(Sarah Raven and Crocus both stock the seed)

I never saw the red just the bit of white in 2nd photo 🙄

I think the white splodge is bird poo. Flower is definitely pink!

I have planted wild flower seeds in a different part of the garden - it's probably an escapee and found a place which suits it better.

Thank you! :-)

Agree that it's red campion. Confusingly, they can be different shades of pink and also white! We have populations of both nearby.

Campion. Bees love them