Plant ID help please

puschkinia

Hi everyone. I planted anemone nemorosa rhizomes in exactly this spot around November and got very excited when I started to see growth.

These aren't anemone nemorosa are they ? So disappointed.

It's very possible I sprinkled some flower seeds - perhaps wildflowers - in this area, though I don't remember doing that. Does anyone know what these are please? I tried using a plant ID app but all the suggestions looked the same to me

In case it helps, these are planted in sun/partial shade under a very young crab apple tree and are growing out of the bark mulch. The soil is alkaline clay that has lots of chalk that I'm amending with manure & compost. 

Lizzie27

Very possibly forget-me-knots? Leaves look hairy but I'm sure someone else will know for sure.

puschkinia

That would be so strange - of the many seed packets I've thrown around the garden at various points those aren't one of them! They're lovely though so it would be a nice surprise I guess

Fairygirl

One of the Knapweeds, or Lychnis, would be my guesses. They're both quite invasive if they're happy. Quite a few things look similar at that stage though. We had a thread recently with something very similar. Stachys was the other ID given if I recall. 

Unfortunately, not the anemone. 

puschkinia

Hmm I do think I have seeds for both common knapweed & rose campion @Fairygirl - maybe it's one of those then, thank you. What I was thinking putting them right under my little tree I don't know. Do you know if the tree will be ok having those within 15-30cm of the trunk? It's very young still. I can move them elsewhere if their current position is problematic 

So sad about the anemone! I'll try again next year

Fairygirl

Your tree should be fine. You can easily pull out anything that's a bit set on world domination 

PatsyFagan

I am wondering of those hairy seedlings could be Nicotiana (Sylvestris?) If you have grown those nearby, then the seeds would have been blown around as has happened to me. 

Also if you planted rhizomes, wouldn't they be strong enough to grow through the seedlings ? 

puschkinia

Also if you planted rhizomes, wouldn't they be strong enough to grow through the seedlings ? 

You'd think, but there's no sign of them at all which is a shame. Maybe I bought bad ones. I love the look of woodland anemones under a tree so I'll try again next year I think.

Oh if they look like nicotiana then maybe - I have those seeds too. I only moved to the house in July and the garden was just lawn and some weeds, so no nicotiana was growing, but I sowed some in a container a few months ago. Nowhere near the tree though Very strange.

 

Woodgreen

@puschkinia Just out of interest, where did you buy the anemone rhizomes?

puschkinia

@Woodgreen I just checked my emails - they were from Dobies. 15 rhizomes and not one came up maybe I planted them wrong

Woodgreen

Thanks @puschkinia.
It's just that I sent for some from Sarah Raven in the sale last autumn and they were disappointing -- very thin, dry rhizomes and several broken bits.
When I started growing them many years ago I bought from Broadleigh Bulbs and they were good quality.
They're odd things to plant, aren't they? I usually make a little 'trench' with the tip of a trowel and lie them along, cover with leaf mould then soil. They benefit from being soaked before planting.
I don't like labels in the garden as a rule but it's so easy to disturb the rhizomes so I do label special anemones until I'm familiar with where they are. Keep an eye open, they may put a few leaves up yet.