Weed identification

[WednesdaysPlaits]

Anyone know what this is?

Looks like creeping buttercup.

It is wood avens. It is such a nice weed you can buy seed or plug plants of for wildlife gardening. 🙂

I disagree, it's a shitty plant with the tiniest of flowers that spreads absolutely everywhere (and I have a wildflower meadow), it doesn't grow there though as I guess it doesn't compete with grass, it just grows in all my bloody flower beds.

Honestly people will sell anything - I once bought what I thought was a wildlife friendly wildflower and it was basically a dock with slightly smaller leaves. The tiny hardly visible flowers had been blown up hugely by the seller to make it seem it was pretty. I haven't been able to get rid of it in 5 years. I even saw someone on here say you could buy ground elder online - now that really is a bastard.

Anyway don't be afraid to get rid of the bloody wood avens - it'll no doubt be back somewhere next year no matter what you do anyway.

You can eat the roots. They taste like cloves.

Yes, Wood Avens - and it is not a weed, it is a wild flower, there is no such thing as a 'weed'. Many wild flowers are as beautiful as, if not more so, than cultivated plants, bought at great expense from a garden centre or nursery. And don't forget that many cultivated plants are simply selectively bred and hybridised versions of wild plants or plants which have been collected from other countries around the world, over the years.

It is entirely possible to create a stunning garden using nothing but wild flowers and plants, many of which would be considered 'weeds' in an over manicured and unnatural garden, with not a single cultivar or bastardised version in sight!

Wood avens, aka Herb Bennet, Geum urbanum.

I’ve just pulled some up this morning. There is more in a shady area which I’ll leave in place thanks to @Hedgesfullofbirds. I am now going to investigate whether the roots do taste of cloves.

(I won’t actually taste it, just sniff)

@BestIsWest It might not smell much. You might need to wash the soil off and squish it up with your nails a bit to get the smell.

I’d love advice on where to look for inspiration and ideas for a completely wild garden. We live in a very small wooded valley so normal garden plants would look out of place - a wildflower /weed garden is exactly what I envisage would look right for here. Any advice gratefully received!

I started my wildflower meadow by transplanting every weed that grew in the beds. It was much more successful than using wildflower seed

Thank you, that’s an excellent idea (except we don’t have any flower beds so can’t act on this!). We have done the green hay thing (strewing newly cut grass/wildflowers from our meadows, which has worked.) I’m trying to think of weeds/native plants ie they’re so native they self seed and grow like weeds eg valerian to plant.

Ooo valerian! I accidentally bred a new valerian in my garden. Ridiculously drought tolerant, gorgeous tall open habit and didn’t smell when it was crushed.

Took it to my most trusted plantsman as assumed it must be a variety. But no, they were shocked, ever seen anything like it!

I think it’s sterile though as never self seeds. Just that one fabulous plant all on its lonesome.

lemonswan please post a photo, it sounds amazing! Maybe your plant could be reproduced by division of the roots or cuttings (as you can tell I haven’t a clue…🤗)

Sorry to be so forward I meant 🤡 not 🤗!

Only if you are 🤪

it spreads everywhere, the roots strangle less robust plants like primroses. It has hairy and scratchy stems.
dig it up