Viral plant

Foleyart

Can anybody tell me what this is, it looks to be taking over the garden and it is now begining to appear on my lawn. How do I get rid of it ??

mountainy man

I think its coltsfoot, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tussilago_farfara, as for getting rid not sure but if it is in your flower beds and lawn you could try a weedkiller but use a paint brush as spraying it would likely drift on to other plants and obviously you dont want to destroy your lawn, hope this helps.

looksee

I have my doubts about coltsfoot, though I can't offer any other ideas. I have certainly seen it and it does tend to be prolific where it occurs.

However in my rooting around the internet I found this very useful website http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/weedlf.htm which might be good for future reference.

Nonmonotonic

Looks pretty Coltsfoot like.


Pull one up and see if it has rhizomes like this. Some advice on its eradication on this link also.

muckyhands

Did you notice 'dandelion' or 'daisy' like flowers, where these plants are now,.. but before you saw the leaves appear?

Might have flowered early spring, before the Dandelions did?

February onwards...





Flowers tend to be the best way to ID a plant.

Compared to Dandelion flower...

Foleyart

Thanks all for your responses, it looks like coltsfoot allright bloody nuisance.:(

muckyhands

I wonder about this because the pic in the op is not of 'Coltsfoot' as I have come to know/ see it where I live. The Coltsfoot I see has large, rounded, heart shaped leaves, not like the pic.

Yet I see botanical references of 'Coltsfoot'- one with rounded leaves and one with leaves like in the op's pic.

The Daisy family is huge, changes all the time, and I wonder if in years to come they will be classed as two distinct species of Tussilago, or regional variations, because they are very alike but very different?

Or am I talking nonsense?

Nonmonotonic

You may have something there.

Here are two images of the leaves taken in different parts of the world ( select thumbnail for better picture )

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=156786&one=T

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=231153&one=T

They do look different!

muckyhands

Nonmonotonic wrote: »

You may have something there.

Here are two images of the leaves taken in different parts of the world ( select thumbnail for better picture )

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=156786&one=T

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=231153&one=T

They do look different!

Theres hope for me still so.

I could have a plant named after me, imagine that!

Tussilago L. F 'Mucky' :D:pac:

looksee

(On my previous comment about being doubtful about coltsfoot) I hadn't seen coltsfoot in flower for a long number of years and it took my brain a while to sort it out, but I agree that's what it is - gawd I must be getting old!

Foleyart

Here are a couple of new pictures just to be sure !

muckyhands

I can see Horsetail in there too from the first pic.

Is the land there near a river/ stream, usually damp?

Did you see this plant in flower?

How big do the leaves usually get?

To be sure to be sure, if you decide to spray off the area, keep some of the plants and watch for them flowering. If its Coltsfoot, wont see a flower til next Februaryish.

There are plants with similar habits, ie flowering in spring before leaves grow, but flowers would look different to pics I posted before of Coltsfoot.

Sorry for all the questions.

Foleyart

Howdy

Is the land there near a river/ stream, usually damp?
The land is in the middle of the bog, though well drained.

Did you see this plant in flower?
I haven't seen the plant flower
How big do the leaves usually get?
I think about as big as the photo.
One other thing, I had this area covered with plastic for a few months and this plant actually grew underneath it, the only thing that did :eek: