Just another plant I.D

StopWatch

Any help here would be great, I have Tonnes of this plant popping up in a corner of the garden that used to be cut or grazed, anyone any idea what it might be?

StopWatch

Delphinium wrote: »

difficult to tell from photos but i would guess a cotoneaster

Thanks for that, I'll try to take better photos, bit it has me baffled. Not sure wether cotoneaster, also hard to know why hundreds of them are popping up, perhaps part of a hedge at some point??
I'm mostly wondering wether to dig them out or replant them somewhere more useful.

Oldtree

Looks a bit like blackthorn.

my3cents

I'd also go with blackthorn.

Its habit of it popping up in a corner of the garden that used to be cut or grazed also supports this.

smacl

Oldtree wrote: »

Looks a bit like blackthorn.

Was going to say the same. If you see any berries on it next year that look like large black currents, they're sloes and good to cook with (or make sloe gin).

macraignil

StopWatch wrote: »

Thanks for that, I'll try to take better photos, bit it has me baffled. Not sure wether cotoneaster, also hard to know why hundreds of them are popping up, perhaps part of a hedge at some point??
I'm mostly wondering wether to dig them out or replant them somewhere more useful.

Looks like blackthorn to me also. The pointy bits at the end of the branches can actually be sharper than you might expect so care should be taken if you are moving them. The points are very long and straight so are well capable of penetrating clothes and gloves if enough pressure is used. The traditional use for them is making a stock proof hedge. I moved one recently as it had sprouted up in a flower bed where it was blocking the view of a nice shrub and replanted it in another part of the garden where I hope it will produce a nice display of flowers early next year. The dense white flowers on the black stem of a well grown blackthorn tree can be fairly spectacular in the right location.

StopWatch

macraignil wrote: »

Looks like blackthorn to me also. The pointy bits at the end of the branches can actually be sharper than you might expect so care should be taken if you are moving them. The points are very long and straight so are well capable of penetrating clothes and gloves if enough pressure is used. The traditional use for them is making a stock proof hedge. I moved one recently as it had sprouted up in a flower bed where it was blocking the view of a nice shrub and replanted it in another part of the garden where I hope it will produce a nice display of flowers early next year. The dense white flowers on the black stem of a well grown blackthorn tree can be fairly spectacular in the right location.

The wood itself is actually quite soft. The tips of the pointy part aren't sharp. This is what led me away from thinking blackthorn, but are they a bit soft when small? I've dealt with hawthorn before and they've seemed bloody hard and sharp.

smacl

StopWatch wrote: »

The wood itself is actually quite soft. The tips of the pointy part aren't sharp. This is what led me away from thinking blackthorn, but are they a bit soft when small? I've dealt with hawthorn before and they've seemed bloody hard and sharp.

Afaik, the trunk and root are hard and are traditionally used for shillaleighs (sp)

macraignil

StopWatch wrote: »

The wood itself is actually quite soft. The tips of the pointy part aren't sharp. This is what led me away from thinking blackthorn, but are they a bit soft when small? I've dealt with hawthorn before and they've seemed bloody hard and sharp.

I suppose they are a bit flexible when younger but still can be a bit awkward to handle. I found the root was very well developed so digging it out to move to another part of the garden required a bit more work than I expected. I'd imagine moving a larger grown one would be very difficult. It looks like blackthorn in the photo but without the small white flowers in the early spring and the distinctive sloes later in the year I wouldn't give 100% certainty on that ID.

my3cents

macraignil wrote: »

I suppose they are a bit flexible when younger but still can be a bit awkward to handle. I found the root was very well developed so digging it out to move to another part of the garden required a bit more work than I expected. I'd imagine moving a larger grown one would be very difficult. It looks like blackthorn in the photo but without the small white flowers in the early spring and the distinctive sloes later in the year I wouldn't give 100% certainty on that ID.

I'd be more inclined to cut them off an paint the remaining cut areas with glyphosate to get rid of it.

It has its place in a farm hedge but its far too much of a nuisance to keep anywhere near a garden unless you are in the country and have access for a flail mower to your garden.