Plant ID please!

[senua]

I went to a stately home garden last autumn and some seeds fell into my pocket. I thought they were agapanthus but they have come out like this! - what are they?
The plants are in 7 inch pots. The leaves are about 6 inches long (10, if you include the stem). There is no sign of a flower. They had a very good root system when I potted on, which makes me suspect that I am nurturing a weed.
Any ideas?

It looks like Acanthus which is a massive thug and impossible to get rid of once planted, the roots to for miles and will regrow from any left behind. I wouldn't recommend and it gets really big quickly.

Hmm, are you sure you don't mean acanthus (bear's breeches) rather than agapanthus?

Those look like they could be young acanthus plants!

agapanthus seeds are quite small and wouldn't be great in a pocket without a bag. Acanthus seeds are much bigger like small balls so much easier to pocket.

I have no idea, but in future if you have an iPhone and take a plant photo then scroll down, it will ID it for you which is pretty useful!

So I have just saved your photo, scrolled down and got this. Obviously sometimes it's not accurate but it's pretty good to have

don't think its acanthus, the leaves arent spiney....and yes, awful thug. It fires its seed as well so spreads two ways

see? spiny leaves..although of course juvenile leaves may not be so spiney www.jparkers.co.uk/acanthus-mollis-0001613c?fo_c=193&fo_k=f4e46c55028bdf219ba0ef38a27b6109&fo_s=gplauk&gclid=CjwKCAjw14uVBhBEEiwAaufYxyry4eSP_keaiKWlsFAuZtTDuhcL5dTy7wZKto7wFaTuVccU_H3a2xoC_UcQAvD_BwE

photoes of seeds and juvenile leaves here www.plantgenesis.co.uk/sow-acanthus-mollis-in-autumn-c1200x62328

I'm a plum! Looks like it could be acanthus. Agapanthus / acanthus - a mistake anyone could make.
The question now is what to do with it. I know that you are all saying that it's a thug but my shady garden needs all the help it can get. I dream of plants being thugs.

Ooops. Forgot to say thanks.
Much appreciated. I knew that you lot would know.

Bin them unless you want something to take over forever.
Plants for shade
Hostas
ferns
Hellebore
Tiarella
heuchera
Astrantia if moist shade
Foxgloves
Aucuba (shurb)
rhododendron (shrub)
viburnum (shrub)
hydrangeas shrub some like the shade

A few things that like the shade.

Agapanthus love the sun so wouldn't have been happy anyway.

Hostas - eaten by slugs, have mine in pots
ferns - boring
Hellebore - struggling
Tiarella
heuchera - have one I can put in
Astrantia if moist shade - not moist
Foxgloves - they seem to have self-seeded anywhere but the shady!
Aucuba (shurb) - yeah, got one. had to cut back cos it got straggly
rhododendron (shrub) - it died!
viburnum (shrub) - yeah, it does too well
hydrangeas shrub some like the shade - yeah, got one but it's struggling

Agapanthus love the sun so wouldn't have been happy anyway - that was the clincher, I knew what I pocketed was a shade-lover.

But thanks.

I have acanthus is dry shade under trees and it hasn't got out of control yet and it has good architectural leaves. It's a big plant though so it needs plenty of space. I'm sure in better soil it could be a problem though.

I keep hearing people saying about plants getting out of control. They must all have Monty-Don-level soil. Interesting to hear him talk about knautia tonight and how it needs poor soil - it's flowering really well in my garden!
Thanks for the encouragement. I shall put the acanthus in my dry, sandy shade under an evergreen and see how it does. I have a big space to fill.

I think acanthus are lovely. Very much a question of 'right plant, right place's in that you can pop it somewhere that is not too critical if it gets very happy and thrives. There are different types of acanthus. The Roman's loved its architectural foliage and carved representations into the columns.
Agapanthus are lovely as well. Fork out on a decent established plant and pop it in a big pot (or better idea in a plastic pot that you can move around). It takes years and years to get a silly little root bit bought on 'special offer' to anything like flowering size, unless you have soil like MD.