By Wizzbang
Lancashire,
United Kingdom 
Hello Everybody, I have a monster in my garden! It is over six feet tall and rather spindly. It isn't something I have planted, it is more likely to be a gift from the birds or squirrels. Could you identify it for me please.
I am (hopefully) posting three photos, two of the tall monster and one of another wee beastie that has taken root in the same 3' x 3' tiny border, it has lovely leaves almost poppylike, and a nice soft dusky green colour, they are very soft to touch. Could anybody identify this for me please. Perhaps it is another gift. I might have planted it myself and forgotten, it has been a difficult two years and I might have forgotten.
Lynne x
19 Aug, 2010
Answers
Hi Tugbrethil,
I think you are right. I have just done a search and it seems you are spot on. I am 56 years old and I have never seen a mugwart!! and I have never seen a potentilla with leaves like that. I pulled one out and it has top spreading stems lying on the ground, just as descrbed as the potentilla which grows wild on the Arizona mountains.
Thank you very much, i really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question because not knowing what they were was driving me bonkers.
The mugwart will be in the compost bin by this evening, because it looks threateningly near to shedding its seed but the potentilla can stay there for a season whilst I see what happens with them, as the bed they are in is tiny and they cant spread very far. Forgot to say, the mugwart smells lovely, earthy and calming smell.
Thank you again,
Lynne x
PS Has anybody else seen these growing in the uk, perhaps northern uk?
19 Aug, 2010
i think its quite a nice looking plant or weed what ever you think lol .
19 Aug, 2010
"Mr. Big" looks like Mugwort (Artemisia lactiflora), a weed or an herb, according to your fancy. The short leaves remind me of the wild Potentillas from the Arizona mountains, but I don't know if the UK has similar species.
19 Aug, 2010