previous
  • The Only Shrubs You Need to Grow
    The Only Shrubs You Need to Grow
  • Find the Perfect Tomato
    Find the Perfect Tomato
  • 15 Deer-Resistant Plants
    15 Deer-Resistant Plants
  • Video: Make a Straw-Bale Garden
    Video: Make a Straw-Bale Garden
  • Garden Catalog Collector
    Garden Catalog Collector
  • Soil Testing is Worth the Effort
    Soil Testing is Worth the Effort
  • How to Start a Vegetable Garden
    How to Start a Vegetable Garden
  • All About Starting Seeds
    All About Starting Seeds
  • 25 Robust Summer Bloomers
    25 Robust Summer Bloomers
  • Free Download: Rose Pruning and Bed Prep
    Free Download: Rose Pruning and Bed Prep
  • 10 Perennials Easily Grown from Seed
    10 Perennials Easily Grown from Seed
  • Make Your Own Hypertufa Container
    Make Your Own Hypertufa Container
  • Off With Their Heads: Deadheading Perennials
    Off With Their Heads: Deadheading Perennials
  • Big Flowers from Bigleaf Hydrangeas
    Big Flowers from Bigleaf Hydrangeas
  • Viburnums are Versatile Shrubs
    Viburnums are Versatile Shrubs
  • Perfect Edges for Your Beds and Borders
    Perfect Edges for Your Beds and Borders
  • Friendly Ways to Battle Garden Pests
    Friendly Ways to Battle Garden Pests
  • Lilacs: Time for a Fresh Look
    Lilacs: Time for a Fresh Look
  • How to Grow Raspberries
    How to Grow Raspberries
  • Backyard Makeover Game
    Backyard Makeover Game
  • Building a Compost Bin
    Building a Compost Bin
  • Bold and Beautiful Zinnias
    Bold and Beautiful Zinnias
  • Variegated Plants Create Drama
    Variegated Plants Create Drama
  • A gardener's checklist for early summer
    A gardener's checklist for early summer
  • Enchanting Japanese Maples
    Enchanting Japanese Maples
next

Post a photo See all posts in this gallery


flower or weed?

comments (4) May 7th, 2011 in gallery

eenigmatic eenigmatic, member
1 user recommends
mystery plant from about 2 feet away
mystery plant close-up and underside of leaves
mystery plant from about 2 feet away Click the image to enlarge.

mystery plant from about 2 feet away
Add CommentAdd Comment
PrintPrint

Can anyone help me identify this plant? We inherited it in a community garden plot. They are about a foot and a half tall, with thick hairy stems and large-ish leaves. The purple flowers are in little clusters... It's growing in amongst daffodils, lilies, peonies, and irises. Is it a weed or something worth keeping? 

posted in: The Gallery
Add CommentAdd Comment PrintPrint
Back to List

Comments (4)

eenigmatic writes: Wow, it's definitely a comfrey. Thanks SO much! That wasn't even on the list of things I came up with (neither was borage). I'm glad it's useful for something. Thanks again! Posted: 1:58 pm on May 8th
Linneaz writes: I think you will find that it is comfrey, not borage. It is a medicinal herb, has a root as large as your forearm, and is almost impossible to eradicate. You may not want to eradicate it however, since it is terrific in the compost. An overfull compost will reduce itself to half its size overnight with a top dressing of comfrey leaves. And check out "manure tea". With comfrey as an ingredient, it is a splendid tonic for all plants. Posted: 11:48 am on May 8th
YourGardenShow writes: Borage for me too (do the leaves smell like cucumbers?). Or one of the types of sage (are the stems "squared"? Does the leaf have a perfume?) The leaves looks like this type of sage to me: http://www.yourgardenshow.com/plants/8534-Salvia-officinalis-Sage-of-Bath-

Let me know. I am curious yellow! Posted: 11:26 am on May 8th
geron1mo writes: Could it be borage? Posted: 1:49 am on May 8th
You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.