Plant Identification
Fife,
United Kingdom 
Hello folks,
New gardener, new (to me) garden... discovering the joys of things popping up from the ground when I least expect it, including this. I wonder if you might help me identify it. It's everywhere (borders between lawn/patio, under some fairly patchy hedging on the west side of the garden, etc). It looked like a worm/snake hybrid when it was first popping up from the ground, and in the summer it will produce 'fingers' of yellow bell-like flowers from each stem.
I know a photo in March is not the best to go by, but does anyone have any ideas what it might be? I would hate to think that I'm caring for a common weed.
After the yellow flowers and stems died off in the autum, it left papery/woody hollow stems which pulled up easily (I was going through a stripping-back phase). Little did I know then that there was a whole network of underground roots/rhizomes/crowns storing up it's floweryness for this year!
Thanks in advance,
Steve
1 Apr, 2009
Answers
Hi Ediburghfifer, welcome to GoY! Not too sure what this piccy is but if you're happy with it and it's not taking over your garden, I'd say leave it in - a free plant, and gardeners are reknown for being thrifty! Hope someone will give you the name of it though, I'm sure someone on here will know what it's called. If you have ANY gardening questions, someone on this fab site will be only too pleased to help out. Happy gardening!
2 Apr, 2009
Could it be a mint of some sort? If you crush a leaf between your fingers is there a strong, minty smell?
2 Apr, 2009
i think creeping jenny
2 Apr, 2009
This looks like it is the lysimachia that grows about 2-3 foot tall, cant remember its second name. Can be invasive so cut back to keep it in check. it is a good plant for mid shade though!
2 Apr, 2009
lysimachia punctata, as soon as i'd submitted it the name came to me.
2 Apr, 2009
pliz, is this the same as Loosestrife then, or does it just look similar?
Sorry to poach on yr patch, Ed.
2 Apr, 2009
loosestrife or Lythrum is a purple flower. google it and there are some great images. lysimachia might be called yellow loosestrife as a common name but not from where i grew up. others might have it as such. :o)
2 Apr, 2009
cool
2 Apr, 2009
Wow.. you guys are stars! So many responses so quickly!!
I have googled mages of the suggestions, and it does, indeed look like lysimachia punctata. I would go so far as to say that's exactly what it is.
I'm so amazed that from a pretty poor cameraphone pic taken when the shoots have only been up for a month or so, you were able to get the family, never mind the specific plant!
I am very impressed! Thank you!
I think I will dig some of it out after the summer, as there is LOTS of it, and I fancy putting down some wild garlic under the hedging as I love the smell, and think it looks lovely too. I realise this would be replacing one prolific spreader with another.... but then that's part of the fun of having a garden, I guess.
2 Apr, 2009
There has been a discussion recently on eradicating wild garlic - you might want to read it before introducing it to find out what you are letting yourself in for
2 Apr, 2009
thanx
2 Apr, 2009
Sbg,
That's funny! My Mum always referred to the other kind as "purple loosestrife" so obviously for her the yellow is the normal one.
Not sure I've ever seen the purple. Does it hv variegated leaves?
3 Apr, 2009
id like to know that 2 please
3 Apr, 2009
We used to have this in our garden as children....yellow loosetrife, makes a pretty clump of golden flowers all the way up the stem...........
4 Apr, 2009
looks cool in hanging baskets to
5 Apr, 2009
the purple loosetrife i have is the non variegated british native. i think there is a variegated form but not sure.
5 Apr, 2009
cool never sean varigated bet thats nice
5 Apr, 2009
Don't think I've seen the purple one Seaburngirl...you'll have to post a pic so we can see it......:o) Mum used to grow this with purple coloured veronica..they looked great together.
5 Apr, 2009
Hmm... a purple one sounds quite interesting. I like purple flowers - the other thing I was considering putting in under the hedging was some bluebell bulbs (although I do prefer our 'Scottish Bluebell', also known as the Harebell, as I think it just looks more delicate - unfortunately it's not really a shade-loving plant!).
5 Apr, 2009
purple loostrife is more of a magenta pink really, rather than purple. it is a common plant round wateregdes. it was in flower in the norfolk broads last august.
5 Apr, 2009
earlier than the yellow one then
6 Apr, 2009
It could be Lysimachia nummularia or "creeping jenny".
2 Apr, 2009