Garden is covered in these weeds, or atleast I think they are anyway. Beautiful purple/pink flowers on them and a tentacle like red/white fleshy root system which sits on top of the surface of the soil spreading all around. I’ve inherited the house from my grandma and I thought when these plants were flowering they were perennials but apparently the borders that they sit in were solely for annuals so I’m starting to pull them out now as the seed are starting to pop and spread everywhere (seeds are very similar to dandelion puffballs)
by ashleytickhill
4 Comments
[deleted]
Great Willowherb. It’s a native wild flower that people usually treat as a weed. You’re right that it will have self-seeded and are best pulled up so you can replant the border.
The root system near the top of the soil that you described are rhizomes which new plants will grow from. Best to remove as much as you can.
They’re perennials that die back in winter and put out new growth in spring, I think it’s meant to be a bit more vigorous than Rosebay Willowherb but should be easy enough to remove.
Get the app ‘LeafSnap’
Agree on Greater Willowherb. These plants get tall and might not fit in with the kind of garden you want. But they can be great in a wildlife garden where there is plenty of space. I grew some deliberately.