Stupid plant ID question.

[spidereggs]

Hello

I've posted before about taking control of wild cottage gardens and falling in love.

However, I'm novice and it's trial and error.

I only buy from search and rescue, because I'm useless.

I bought two of these. The size of my hand. One died, one is now bigger than me.

What is it please? And can I split it? It's so happy and has thrived all winter even in the snow.

Thank you.

What? I can't see a picture

It's a triffid.

@NeonBoomerang dear me. Added it, neither can I! Will keep trying. Stupid Wi-Fi

Photo

Thanks. I'm not sure what it is, but it's probably not a triffid.
There are no stupid gardening questions.

I don't know what it's called, but think it's some kind of flower (I don't really do flowers).
The main reason I posted was to say there's no such thing as a stupid plant ID question.

That is a Euphorbia. You can split it but it will usually get bigger and bigger all by itself.

Just be careful if you do decide to split it - the sap from euphorbias is not nice at all, and can make blisters on your skin.

IME euphorbias tend to seed themselves around quite well.

I used the candide plant identification app and it agreed with previous posters saying euphorbia, it called it Spurge, which isn’t as nice a name as euphorbia. The app has proved quite useful for me in the past.

Spurge is it's common name, Euphorbia its Latin name. Spreads like a bastard, I'm always digging them up.

Damn autocorrect and rough apostrophes!

Yes, do be careful if you split it / cut it / have pets or children - euphorbia sap makes your skin photosensitive, so burns and blisters really nastily when exposed to sunlight. It can scar, it's that nasty. And the berry seeds are absolutely deadly - 1 can kill a child.

Euphorbia does spread but they are easy to dig up too so great to fill a gap quickly & grow well with other plants. I love them.

Goodness.

Stupid question because I should have kept pot.

Garden full of children and dogs. So perhaps best leave it as it is.

Thank you all.

For anybody with an iPhone (don’t know how far back but mines an 11 Pro) they have a built-in plant identifier. It’s not 100% but it’s not bad.

I took a screenshot of OP’s image and got this.

I've never had any rash from Euphorbia, I often pull them out without gloves.

TBF, not all varieties of Euphorbia have sap that causes a reaction, but the one in the picture would do. If it gets in your eyes it can cause blindness.

Thank you all.

So what else might like wind, rain, snow, storms, frost, Scotland. Fill a gap and not kill me or children?

Ivy not happy. Rhododendrons not happy. Some roses are, some are not. Sunflowers hate us. Lavender is iffy.

I have one plant that gives massive red flowers who is happy and I've split her lots but that's over by June maybe.

I keep trying different things but would like things to keep coming back.

It’s the sap that causes it, if you’re not getting any sap-on you, you’ll have no problem. I’ve got a patch on my leg which gets a rash each year when I start gardening with bare legs, which I put down to Euphorbia characias. I’m just very careful to be aware of cut ends and not let it drip on me. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone else my approach to H&S

Rhodedendron generally like damp, acid shelteted light woodland, so are more a West coast (of Scotland) thing. . generally!
Can you plant a shelter belt - thibgs like hawthorn - if its v windy?
But for a list of plants, go to rhs plant finder online and filter by conditions, season of interest, etc. Itll guve you a lustnpf pissoble candidates! Crocus (online plant nursery) have a similar function on their website too.

Have you tried hardy geraniums? I'm down south so not the same issue with weather, but my experience of them is they just grow and grow. Various colours in the white/blue/pink/purple range. Some are close to the ground, some varieties are quite tall.