Berwickshire, United Kingdom
Identification of a giant hogweed like plant.
I was sent this picture because the sender's friend had said it was a 'nasty'. It's very similar to giant hogweed but not exactly the same. It could, I suppose, be another species of Heracleum.
The grower was expecting a pumpkin or some sort of squash as she planted seeds that she'd saved last year.
As the picture shows, the bed is pretty weedy so it may have nothing to do with the seeds planted.
All thoughts gratefully received.
- 11 Aug, 2017
Answers
Is it Datura? looks more like Ricinus communis to me.
11 Aug, 2017
Could be, but just as poisonous. It was Ricin which was used by the Bulgarian secret service to murder the chap on London Bridge with the umbrella tip.
11 Aug, 2017
Yea, but its a right performance making actual ricin... as this question has been posed by The Poison Garden, I don't think I need go into detail, he knows already, that's where I got my information from!
11 Aug, 2017
So a common name for it could be the" Bulgarian Umbrella Plant".
11 Aug, 2017
I think Bamboo's got it. It is one of the green-leaved varieties of Ricinus communis. I hadn't considered that because the red-leaved types are the most common and it's not a plant that tends to appear 'by magic'.
Incidentally, Owdboggy, it wasn't the umbrella that was the murder weapon. But that's a whole other, long story.
12 Aug, 2017
It is odd that its popped up on its own, and also, the stems look really thick, as if its more than one year old, very strange.
12 Aug, 2017
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Another Datura. Remove carefully and don't eat the fruit which is very poisonous.
11 Aug, 2017