Weed? Or Plant?

[SusieG]

Hope you can tell from photo - but is this a weed or a plant?
It's growing next to the unkempt pond with other things that I recognise to be actual plants ...

It reminds me of a dandelion - the 'flower' hasn't opened yet, but looks to be yellow (dandelion!) - it's grown tall - about 3ft - and there is another one the same growing on the opposite side of the garden...

Am VERY tempted to hoick em out .....

[WendyC]

Photos not very clear, but I would say weed. Can't think what they're called for the moment.

[Martin H]

I think it's a sowthistle. Weed.

[Greenleaves]

^^Concur with Martin

[SusieG]

Cheers you lot..! . I can now remove said WEED(S) without compunction !!

[Martin H]

Cheers you lot..! . I can now remove said WEED(S) without compunction !!

Although I did read on Wikipedia that you can eat sowthistles if you want:

"Leaves are eaten as salad greens or cooked like spinach. This is one of the species used in Chinese cuisine as kŭcài (菜; lit. bitter vegetable). Blanching or boiling removes bitter flavour."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonchus_oleraceus

[SusieG]

Although I did read on Wikipedia that you can eat sowthistles if you want:

"Leaves are eaten as salad greens or cooked like spinach. This is one of the species used in Chinese cuisine as kŭcài (菜; lit. bitter vegetable). Blanching or boiling removes bitter flavour."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonchus_oleraceus

Aaaah, Martin - just got back in from digging up my sowthistles which have been despatched to the brown bin - don't really fancy rummaging around in there to take them back out to cook them..!!!
I'll stick with my spring greens for now, thanks.

It was a very interesting link though!

[Martin H]

Just because something is edible doesn't mean it tastes good. It just means if you've got nothing else to eat it won't kill you.

Most edible weeds and "unusual vegetables" fall into this category, in my opinion!