Another mystery plant

[TonTonMacoute]

Sitting in the garden today and suddenly noticed these leaves by the hedge. It looks a bit like an iris, seems to be growing from a sort of round base, like iris rhizome.

It looks quite mature and well-established but I have absolutely never seen it before (lived here 20+ years) although we did have a lot of our hedges clipped back earlier this year, so it could just have been hiding.

What do you think wise MN gardeners?

I don't know what it's called but it looks like something that grew at my last house. It grew everywhere, never flowered and was a nightmare to get rid of.

Carex Pendula , can spread !

Is it this?

We had something like and it grew tall (about three foot) and was a grass like thing it did produce some seed heads but we then pulled it up as we could see others appearing. Very tough leaves with rough edges, quite difficult to get out but we did manage it..
Or on tbe other hand it vcould be a very atractive iris!

Is your garden near a river or pond? It could be the native wild iris.

Stinking Iris (iris foetidissima). Spreads quite a lot but is easily pulled up.

Yes, looks like Carex pendula, it’s a pest!

Easy way to see if it's a stinking iris, snap a leaf and give it a sniff. If it smells like roast beef it's a stinking iris

I agree it's iris foetidessima.
I had a big clump appear out of nowhere in my garden last year. I then noticed some around the area which I never have before, I think it may be spreading its range north.

The flowers, if you get any (may be too late this year) are drab, but then the seed head opens to reveal bright orange berries which last for ages.

I think pollinators really like stinking iris.

@NanTheWiser

Yes, looks like Carex pendula, it’s a pest!

No it doesn't look like Carex pendula! Carex pendula is a sedge, and the thing about sedges is that the basal leaves are arranged in threes. This one is very much in two flattened ranks (equitant), and therefore not a Carex, but a member of the Iridaceae, Araceae or Liliaceae.

I agree with you that Carex pendula is a pest in a garden situation. More so it it's your neighbour's garden than your own.

TonTon do the leaves smell either sweet and citrusy or of roast beef?

I knew you lot would know!

Definite roast beef smell to the leaves. Very weird!

If pollinators like it then I'll leave it, although I can't see any flowers coming for this year. We have a big garden so it shouldn't be a problem.

We are very rural and it's amazing the stuff that just appears. We have this self-seeded wild strawberry patch right outside the back door. We might have brought some seed in on our boots after walking in the nearby woods, or it could have come from bird droppings.

Good that you got the correct answer from someone 👍🏻

It looks well suited to where it is, I'd leave it. I moved my clump from where it was to somewhere in the back border which is more overgrown and - I'm not sure what it's doing as it's surrounded by other stuff. I found it easy to dig out and it hasn't reappeared in the original spot so hopefully not too difficult to control, though I did make sure I removed fallen berries. Fortunately as they're so bright orange they're easy enough to spot.

I have loads in my garden. The flowers are really not very attractive, a kind of a musty mauvey brown colour, but bees seem to absolutely love them!