Topic: Is it a weed?

[Paulines7]

Can anyone identify this plant that has sprung up in my potato bed please?  I have never seen anything like it before. 

[cambourne7]

Hi

I dont think its a weed, but it does look odd!

The only thing i think it could be is common thornapple, or jimsonweed
http://flyaway.smugmug.com/popular/11/7514654
http://www.weedinfo.com.au/wd_dastr.html
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thorna12.html

Why not send it to bbc radio gardeners question time??

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/

If no one can confirm, and please let us all know!

Lakeviewallotment

[Grant]

Looks like common Thornapple.

[Mrs Ava]

Could it be a datura as there seed heads look just like that.

[muddy boots]

A weird Eryngium?  :-\

[Paulines7]

Thank you Grant and EJ.  I looked up Thornapple and Datura on Google after reading your posts and am in no doubt that you have identified it correctly.  

It would seem that all parts of this plant are highly poisonous so I will need to get rid of it before my young grandchildren visit in a couple of weeks.  It is supposed to have a beautiful trumpet flower so I am hoping it will produce one shortly before I dig it out and dispose of it.   :D   I wonder how it got there, especially in with the potatoes?   Maybe a migrating bird flew over and deposited the seed.   :-\

Muddy boots, I have just seen your reply when I was posting this.  Having looked up Grant and EJ's names for the plant, I am now certain it is Datura, commonly known as a thorn apple.

Thanks to you all. 

Pauline

[valmarg]

Pauline7, We've had them in the garden, usually under the birdfeeders, which is a possible explantion of how they got there.

valmarg

[janet h 1948]

Could it be transplanted & save the seeds. They are very expensive in T&Ms catalogue

[Paulines7]

Janet, I think I would need to see what variety it is first and then decide what to do with it.  It was too wet to go out this evening to see if any flowers had opened up.  I notice that EBay are selling the seeds of them.