Solved Weeed!

this looks like fat hen, which is plentiful oop on t'lottment. Is it?

 

Could be. Could also be aramanth.
Either would be edible, in salads when young or cooked as if spinach

 

Looks like Chenopodium giganteum.

Chenopodium giganteum &s;Magentaspreen&s; | tree spinach &s;Magentaspreen&s; Annual Biennial/RHS Gardening

 

Great Scott!

A quick look at "magicgardenseeds" tells me: (Tree Spinach, Chenopodium giganteum, purple goosefoot) "Stalks can be Used as Great Hiking Poles" and "Plant height approx.: 300 cm"

I'll leave it alone for a while to see what happens, but it will shade my onions.

Edit: I will have to look up what to do with it. If it's fat hen, I can eat it (I quite like this, but it's very susceptible to blackfly, which I don't like. This plant does not seem to have blackfly). If it's Chenopodium giganteum I can eat it. If it's amaranth, I think I can eat it.

 

I'm sure it would make much better compost

 

I nearly pulled it up when I first saw it.

A neighbouring allotment lady wondered if it were Good King Henry so it seems she was not far off.

I nearly pulled it up today 'cos it's on the sunny side of my onions.

If I leave it, it seems I will struggle to pull it up! Still, I've got a chainsaw...