introduction
annual plant cycle
ephemeral cycle
biennial cycle
perennial cycle
vegetative spread
know your weeds
benefits of weeds
weed problems
organic control
raised beds
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ANNUAL PLANT CYCLE

Euphorbia helioscopia (Sun spurge)

(Cat's milk, devil's milk, milkwort, Saturday's milk.)

sun spurge A common weed, often on heavy, limy soil. A short, hairless plant with oval leaves. The flowers, found between April and November, are tiny with no petals and have large greenish/yellow bracts. The seeds shoot out when ripe and are also spread by ants. The plant gives out a milky fluid which is an irritant but was used to cure warts. The nectar attracts many insects.


Lamium purpureum (Red dead-nettle)

(Badman's posies, rabbit meat, day nettle.)
A member of the mint family. A low/short, downy, aromatic annual with pink flowers.

The plant can flower and seed all year round if the weather conditions allow it but then with the weather we get in country now who can tell, and the plants often set seed when you are preparing your seedbeds. The seeds are distributed by ants yes everthing on this earth serves a purpose so just think again, I might just write a book on this interesting subject.

LIFE CYCLE OF AN ANNUAL PLANT
sun spurge red dead nettle
scentless mayweed prickly sowthistle
annual cycle

 

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