Don't hold me to this Smasher, but there are things called prickly stemmed geraniums. I've never actually seen one so I Googled it for pictures - they were rubbish - so I've still never seen one. :o)) But maybe someone on here has, but those leaves are so geranium looking that you may want to Google it yourself. You may try drawing Inverglen's attention to this, he may know, I like geraniums and he *loves* them if you PM him.

It all fits with them being a hardy geranium but are those prickles really sharp. They look it. If so its a new one on me....or we are barking up the wrong tree altogether and are we looking possibly for a completely different answer. Aromatic leaves on this one ?? May give us one more clue.

Wonder if it is a Rubus of some sort?

Oh. You don't need to PM him. He picked the thread up.

Could be Boggy. My currant bushes have similar leaves.

Have a look at pictures of Geranium Cantabrigiense and see what you think. But they won't have prickles.

mmm?? the plot thickens,if and when it blooms il stick a picture up ,thanks for the help guys

pm Spritzhenry, she is a geranium addict too.

I am now thinking it is not a geranium. The spikes say it is not. Quite possibly one of the Ribes family. Flower pics might help decide which one if that is correct.

lets hope mr sunshine stays for a while longer and il repost but yeah those stalks are very spikey indeed,hard and brittle.........

i think the prickles are the dead/dry leaflets left behind as the rhizome grows. so i still think it is a geranium.

I think there are some genuine spikes there Seaburngirl as well as what you describe. I'm coming round to the view that it is a relative of the gooseberry (i.e. a ribes) after having just been out and picked some. It's very difficult to pick them wearing armour plated gloves. :oOwww