By Lauren8888
Derbyshire,
United Kingdom 
Please can anyone help identify this plant? I have spent hours trying to identify these plants which have sprung up all over our garden. We moved here last summer and they started to come up late summer. They survived the frosts and grew taller this spring. I thought they may be echium and would grow taller and then flower - maybe like echium pininana, but as you can see they are now sort of flowering but have no flowers just little yellow and purple stamens inside the open sepals ( not sure if that is the correct terminology) I have looked everywhere to identify them and hope that someone may be able to help me!
Thanks in anticpation!!
8 May, 2010
Answers
Thanks so much - that has solved the mystery. Now I don't know whether to remove or keep them. I have about12!
Thanks again
Lauren
8 May, 2010
It is indeed a Euphorbia, once you allow this to seed you will spend the rest of your life pulling them out. Watch out for the sap, it is highly unpleasant and can cause skin problems and even worse you you get it in your eyes.
8 May, 2010
I thought it looked nice but prehistoric, not sure i would want one or 12 for that matter, day of the triffids all over again. ;) LOL
8 May, 2010
They are a bit scary looking - I will probably get rid of them before they seed thanks for the advice Owdboggy. I am a bit nervous of them now Windy don't know if I dare turn my back on them!!!
8 May, 2010
The leaf looks exactly like Euphorbia mellifera, i have two and it looks just like this .... it's long and thin and has that white-cream coloured 'stripe' down the middle.
9 May, 2010
Thanks Louise, I think I am going to take them out as they may get everywhere!
9 May, 2010
Previous question
« My victoria plum - planted last spring hasn't any blossom?
It looks like one of the euphorbias. Possible the one known as a caper or a mole plant. A close up of the flower would help to identify it for sure.
8 May, 2010