Any ideas what this is?

[Shortie]

Hello one and all...

This little plant is currently being given grace of stay in my garden as I have no idea what it is.... Any ideas please?

When it first made an appearance I thought it was a stinging nettle, but it has no sting at all... It's leaves are ribbed like raspberry but it's the wrong shade of green (it's a silvery green). I wondered if it was a tomato but I don't plant one there and the leaves are starting to look a little bit too different now.

I had chickens last year so I'm not sure if it was something from their seed but it's the only one in my garden..?

Am I nuturing a lone weed?

[Jaxom]

You are indeed nurturing a lone weed. In more than one sense. The plant is Hemp or commonly known as Cannabis, Weed, Dope.
I could be wrong but this plant sometimes crops up all over the UK. It seeds from bird dropping seed. Birds tend not to pay much attention to what the police say. Thankfully it has been reclassified in recent years but it is still illegal to grow it these days.
Many years ago Hemp was a large crop grown in the UK for making ropes and other such useful items. Hemp can also be made into clothes and cosmetics. These days all people seem to know is that it can give you a high if burned or digested.

[Shortie]

Thanks Jax... I did joke about that just before posting it. Oops...

Me thinks it's time to pull it up and commit it to the compost bin.

Think there'll be drugs raid on my house now?

[sewer rat]

I'd consign it to your compost bin asap - these plants grow to 6ft tall and can attract the wrong sort of attention. Mr Plod doesn't like to see them being cultivated at all.

[Alice]

I think the guys are right Shortie. I'll believe it came out of the bird seed, but will PC Plod ????

[Shortie]

We're all marvelling at the fact it's grown... don't you need those insulated lofts etc with bright lights and tonnes of heating? Until last week it's been tipping down with rain and really over cast... That's why it didn't really cross my mind before...

Well, it's going to take me a while to live this one down at home. A while back, OH went part way through Plod training and is due to go again soon... he keeps asking me why I didn't check with him first - oops.

Jax, I honestly wont be offended if you feel you need to delete this thread. Hope I've not started a bad thread here unintentionally

LJ - you're stuck with a dessert you won't live down, and this one might be mine

[sewer rat]

Hemp will grow anywhere - have seen it in the hydroponic factories you were talking about and on windowsills and in gardens.

[Jaxom]

A lone Hemp plant does not make you a drug Baron. It’s the neat rows under camouflage netting that do that.
Hemp was grown for years in this country as an agricultural crop in a legitimate way. There is bound to be loads of it growing in the UK. The reason people need all the fancy gear to grow it here in the UK is that they cant have it openly growing in the back garden where mother nature will look after its every need.
Say it was a spider plant or ivy [considered indestructible by many] would it grow in a dark loft or wardrobe?
Just throw it on the compost heap and have done. The police are on the news every few years because one of the flower beds in front of the station keeps on growing the odd plant or two. If they can't stop the birds they why should you?