What is this absolute monster?!

[TheIckabog]

Can anyone identify this which I ripped from my lawn today? Half of the root is still in there as it appears to have buried itself under the patio! It also came up with these little cocktail onion type things?

Before my husband decimated it with the mower it had dark purple flowers and long tendrils growing flat over the ground. I’m worried it’s going to carry on growing and ruin my lawn, should I be worried?

It looks like a weed

Hollyhock I think.

Yup it’s definitely a weed, just wondered if anyone knew what sort of weed. I’ve never seen something like this before- tuber type root, very thick and fibrous tendrils, flowers etc. Just wondering if anyone knew if it had a name and if I should be trying to dig out the rest of the root.

@GreasyFryUp thanks but not a hollyhock. This was growing flat along the ground like a creeper rather than a climber

Could be a mallow? They are very vigorous growers

It looks a bit like a geranium.

If you are on Facebook there is a very knowledgeable group called (I think) plant identification uk who should be able to help

@dogseggs yes it could be a mallow looking at images of the flowers! Thank so much! Now I just need to find out if it’s going to be a problem for my lawn!

It could be a problem, but should be ok if you keep it in check... I've spent years pulling one out of our flowerbeds. The roots are massive!

Creeping bellflower possibly? Can't really see the leaves in your picture.

managed to enlarge it (duh!) and agree probably a mallow!

Yes, a mallow, a UK wildflower. Close relative of hollyhock, lavatera and hibiscus, and musk mallow is often grown as a garden flower.

Weed is a purely gardening term for something growing where you don't want it - you may consider this a weed in your lawn, but that doesn't make it always a weed. There's no neat division into "flowers" and "weeds".

Very helpful @GreyGardens88