A World of Weeds in Two Planters

The lack of weeds / wildflowers recently has been so depressing with new building developments and weedkiller limiting their numbers, so finding these planters full of weeds (outside Warren St / UCLH on Euston Rd) has been a real treat. I've been down there a few times and noticed new things each time. A previous recent blog entry featured a Study in Nipplewort which I saw in this planter.  I'll go back in a couple days to check on some, especially the swine cress buds.

looking west, the other planter is across the road

looking east to the other planter

The most interesting thing I've seen is swine cress which I'd never seen before. Why I'd see so much of it here and none anywhere else, I don't know. Certainly the neglect of these planters has been beneficial for the weeds and I'm pleased.

these are the fattest buds I've seen on the swine cress so will go back in a couple days

smooth sow thistle, to the right small rosettes of swine cress, nipplewort, hairy bittercress, groundsel, petty spurge

another smooth sow thistle

correction: hoary mustard (Hirschfeldia incana)

close-up of one of the hoary mustard leaves

ribwort plantain, few shoots of petty spurge

mouse-ear chickweed

hairy bittercress

hairy bittercress starts with a low rosette of leaves and then a taller flowering stem emerges as below

prickly sow thistle surrounded by swine cress, hairy bittercress to the left

common knotgrass

common field-speedwell

common field-speedwell flower bud close-up

nipplewort

dandelion

mallow

herb robert

groundsel

a little further north from the intersection with the planters (in view of the Post Office Tower) is this weed which I've been trying to identify, wild lettuce? prickly lettuce?

the cold weather has been tough on it but it's still alive and green

it's soft and not prickly at all even though the leaves have this edge