Solved What are these ... bulbs?

Discussion in 'Identification Area' started by tommyrot, Aug 11, 2024.

  1. tommyrot

    tommyrot Gardener

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    Hi folks,

    While weeding in my garden recently I unearthed a good number of these clusters. (See attached image.) I haven't the foggiest idea what they are. Can anyone shed any light on what they are please? Is there anything I need to do?

    Many thanks.
     

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  2. noisette47

    noisette47 Total Gardener

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    Hi, they look.like Celandine bulbs. It's a wildflower or invasive weed depending on your perspective :) Personally I'd bin every last bit you find. They'll likely have self-seeded too, so it will take a while to get rid.
     
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    • Escarpment

      Escarpment Super Gardener

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      I agree Celandines, I don't find them a problem as they flower before anything else has got going and then disappear for the rest of the year. They are a useful source of early nectar for the pollinators, along with dandelions. 2024-04-13_13-10-07.jpg Here are some of mine in April.
       
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      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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        Agree, I quite like them, on a sunny day in early spring they are a real show.
        Wouldn't want them amongst the veg though.:biggrin:
         
      • tommyrot

        tommyrot Gardener

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        Thanks, @noisette47, @Escarpment and @pete. (@pete, you must've been early on this site to snatch that username. Bravo.)

        I happened upon these tidbits on the RHS website about Lesser Celandine:

        (1) it spreads to form large carpets, it could be considered a weed

        (2) The good news is that lesser celandine doesn’t tend to swamp or outcompete other plants,

        Source: RHS/weeds/celandine

        Isn't that a contradiction? The only possibility where those two statements could be true is if it finds a space in between plants that are already established to keep it in check.

        In my situation at the moment, my plants are still establishing, so there's plenty of exposed soil where they could run amok. So, I'm afraid for now, it's a case of rooting them out.
         
      • Escarpment

        Escarpment Super Gardener

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        It's the timing that stops them competing. By the end of Spring there's nothing left above ground. Sure dig them out, but you're unlikely to get them all and you shouldn't stress about that.
         
      • Butterfly6

        Butterfly6 Gardener

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        They don’t bother anything else’s in my experience. They disappear quite promptly after flowering and are a lovely ground cover whilst in leaf fir a while beforehand
         
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        • BB3

          BB3 Gardener

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          I have pretty much the same attitude to Spanish bluebells. Some of them, you can dig a hole elbow deep and still not reach the bulb. I slice them off at ground level and forget about them until next year.
          Celandine, I mostly leave. Pretty and harmless
           
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