Day of the Triffids.

I am stiill learning a lot and do not recognise these at all! I expect they are a weed but look a little like sunflowers

They have sprung up everywhere even in the containers and pots. I certainly did not plant them

Any help appreciated [before I go on a clearing rampage!]

 

Hi John, forgot to attach the pic.

 

I could be wrong, but it looks like Nicandra to me.

 

I shall have to look that one up!

 

If its Nicandra, it will have lots of tiny black spots on the leaves; also Nicandra stems are purple, which makes me think it might be a close relative Datura.

The flowers should give it away. Nicandra has beautiful purple tinged lantern shaped flower buds like Physalis. Hence its name Nicandra physaloides. Datura will have huge flowers that start off looking like giant condoms. :D

Beware if it is a Datura - all parts are poisonous.

Having said all that - there are a number of vegetables with giant leaves - that I know nothing about.

 

My first thought was also Datura - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium

But then Chinese Lantern also came to mind - http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/images/PA088999.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/html/PA088999.html&h=600&w=800&sz=150&tbnid=IW-ueOViP8VUsM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPhysalis%2Balkekengi.&hl=de&usg=__iywpFp_En9aG68HZX2QuiJJbR9g=&ei=ZziNSuaTAtqc_AaB6sH9DQ&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=5&ct=image

I'm leaning towards this now.

 

The first thing i thought of was Cape gooseberry (physallis).....related to the chinese lantern.. could you have been eating them in the garden and dropped the seeds.

I grew them once and they looked very like yours

 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. :gnthb:

I hit on an idea- I think it could have been something from our homemade compost so could well have been something like physalis seeds?
I'm thinking now I will let them flower [if they do!] then post a pic of the flower.

Very interesting, watch this space.

 

Looks like Datura leaves to me but the little sunflowers description doesn't fit,rub the leaves if they smell a bit like peanut butter they are probably Daturas.

 

Aha we have a tiny flower today!

 

Looks even more like cape gooseberry... hopefully you might get the fruit to ripen

 

It certainly looks like the Physalis flower.
http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellowalt/Physalis_pubescens_flower.jpg

Can you growers of Physalis tell me - does it really have huge leaves like that - they are impressive. Its not just that its a close up photo?

I am growing one plant, but I daren't put it in the border - I have been told it is very invasive. So it is left in a small pot, and has small leaves. I think I am going to have to put it in a larger pot. :D

The link above is to Physalis pubescens and the flower seems to be identical. Is the physalis alkekengi, the more usual variety, flower slightly different - it doesn't seem to have those dark spots.

 

The chinese lantern is a wee bit invasive

The cape gooseberry... which is what Jazmine has here... isn't invasive.. it's a tender perrenial, I kept it going through the winter in an unheated, but frost free greenhouse

 

It does have big leaves with a tiny flower. So has this come from my homemade compost from physalis seeds? As I said before it has got everywhere just like the tomatoes which have popped up in the borders, baskets, containers etc!