Help - plant identification??

 
I would be grateful if someone could assist with identifying the plant
in the attached photo for me? We only moved into our present house last
winter, so I wasn't aware of what was going to appear in the garden in
the Spring, however, this plant appeared at the beginning of August and
has now grown to about 18" in height.


We've potted it at the moment, as to date we haven't been able to
identify it in any of our books and subsequently don't know how big it
may grow? Could anyone please assist?


Many thanks


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mark_griff

 On Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:05:59 +0000, mark_griff


I get something very similar that pops up in my garden from time to
time. I'm almost certain it's one of the Goosefoot family
(Chenopodiacae, which includes Good King Henry and Fat Hen), but my
Wild Flower Guide doesn't mention an all-over beetroot-coloured one. I
suppose it could be a specially bred and cultivated ornamental
variety. There's plenty of GKH and FH in the fields around us, as well
as Red Goosefoot, which is red-stemmed but green-leaved, but the red
isn't anything like on your or my plants. With the exception of GKH,
most are annuals, so it will probably die in the autumn. Grows to
about two feet max, and has spikes/clusters of insignificant little
round flowers.

--
 
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

 

I was thinking the same as Chris but the red leaves foxed me. But
emboldened by Chris I've done a bit of searching and I'd suggest red
orache (a member of the Chenopodiacae family) which has red leaves.
Have a look at:

http://tinyurl.com/3vpcu6o

At least it's edible if I'm right.

Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk

 
A red form of Atriplex hortensis (red orache) is grown, but I don't
think that the leaf form is correct for that.

I've seen a red-leaved chenopodiaceous plant grown in a garden which I
was told was Chenopodium, but the species wasn't specified.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

 On Aug 29, 6:36 pm, Stewart Robert Hinsley

Don't wory about it, it won't survive the winter, it's an annual