What is this?

[john9159]

I am about to clear a vacant plot at my allotments and found the previous tenant sowed some seeds in rows of this which grows to about 2ft, can anyobne identifit it please?

[chris]

Well, looks like there's bindweed climbing up around it. I don't know what the flower is though.

[chris]

The flower buds look similar to borage in bud, but the flowers are different to borage... Can't find anything by google's image searcher either.

Any chance of a photo of the leaves of the flowering plant, not the bind weed wrapped around it?

[pipkins]

Hi John,

Green Manure Seeds - Phacelia

[chris]

Good old pipkins Looks lovely mind.

[pipkins]

Ta Chris,the bees love it

[Shadylane]

I love phacelia. I bought some to grow as green manure but ended up just sowing it for the flowers - and the bees obviously. It's growing out of the bottom of the compost bin at the mo.

[Florence Fennel]

Like that, very pretty and useful too.

[Flummery]

I believe Two Sheds grows it as a green manure. Localy, farmers include it with sunflowers and a few other bits and bobs in field margins. Good for wildlife (and pheasants).

[zazen999]

I grow it just for the bees. They go mad for it.

If you cut the flowers off before each one goes to seed, they last aeons.

[TallGirl]

Phacelia. Great for bees, self-seeds with huge enthusiasm, good green manure.

[Two_Sheds]

I believe Two Sheds grows it as a green manure

Indeedy
This year's lot has flowered, seeded & now the 2nd generation is on the way: 2" tall at present

I let it self-seed now: the seed heads are really sharp & prickly, I hate trying to harvest them

[john9159]

Thank you all for the information, I appreciate it.

[Quail Lady]

I am about to clear a vacant plot at my allotments and found the previous tenant sowed some seeds in rows of this which grows to about 2ft, can anyobne identifit it please?

Yes - its is called Phacelia. It is an annual. This plant is used as a green manure and usually dug in before flowering. If you let it flower it attracts a lot of bees - which is a good thing for some. It self seeds prolifically. I like it, but it can become a nusiance if you don't keep it under control.

[Two_Sheds]

it can become a nusiance if you don't keep it under control.

It's really shallow rooted (so easy to weed out), and frost kills it, so it's not so bad