whats this?

arthur daly

Hi all,anyone know what this is?it grows about 2m high has a purple head when in flower,the leaves create a bowl to catch water in pickley spines
I noticed a couple last year and the multiplied this year.
They must be hardy enough they grew in the hardest crap soil and like it.
I'm more curious to what they are as opposed to getting rid as they do look pretty ok

lottpaul

Looks (and sounds) like a globe artichoke or a cardoon, though I'd expect the leaves to be a bit greyer. A common garden vegetable, not to everyones taste, but also used as an ornamental plant in flower beds etc.

kylith

I'm afraid I don't know what it is, but I definitely don't think it's a globe artichoke, their leaves are much greyer and spikier.

magicbastarder

that photo above looks like chard to me, but it doesn't match the description.

genuine leather

Teasel. One of my favourite plants. The structure, flowerheads the bees and insects love.
It sets seed freely,easy to hoe off young seedlings before established. I leave some in the garden for birds,winter seeds,the rest get dried for decoration.

lottpaul

yes, definitely more like teasel in leaf colour, though the op pic has fleshier leaves (like chard) but the flower head and colour is probably teasel I think. Great to learn and see something new. Don't think I've seen them growing in this part of the world.

arthur daly

genuine leather wrote: »

Teasel. One of my favourite plants. The structure, flowerheads the bees and insects love.
It sets seed freely,easy to hoe off young seedlings before established. I leave some in the garden for birds,winter seeds,the rest get dried for decoration.

Just googled teasel and that's it,thanks a million.it's great to know.
Will be collecting seeds this year to plant in a few places

tampopo

Don't worry, it self-seeds like crazy.