Help to Identify Weed

[Sweet Alford]

I have recently bought a house with a very neglected garden. I naively sowed a wildflower meadow but, despite clearing the site beforehand, some weeds have come up. I have removed the obvious but it is difficult to tell what should be there and what should not. I am attaching a photo of a dandilion-looking plant with a tap root. It is prolific and I wonder if it is a thug. Does anyone recognise it?

Thank you for your help.

[veggiechicken]

Hello and welcome to the Grapevine
Looks a bit like a thistle - maybe milk thistle?..............or it could be a poppy

[Glutton4...]

Most 'Wildflowers' are 'Weeds' wait and see what comes up and flowers next year, then take it from there. If you don't like it, just mow it before they set seed.

[rustylady]

I think it's a poppy, but what is it doing germinating and growing at this time of year. Whereabouts are you?

[andy_j]

Certainly looks like one of the softer thistles to me....could be milk thistle as mentioned above

[Sweet Alford]

Thank you all for your replies,

Veggiechicken, I had not thought of thistle or poppy and I am now busy studying images.
Glutton4, yes I would love to wait until spring to see what happens but if it is to be removed it is now or never.
Rustylady, I am about 10 miles up the road from you so I don't know what poppies are doing growing in December but the garden is sheltered and next year's raspberries are fruiting despite my efforts to stop them!

The distinctive feature of the seedling is a white dot at every leaf indentation. Thank you again, I am very grateful for all your suggestions.

[rustylady]

Rustylady, I am about 10 miles up the road from you so I don't know what poppies are doing growing in December but the garden is sheltered and next year's raspberries are fruiting despite my efforts to stop them!

Oh, you must be somewhere near TwoSheds then. Are you near the coast?

[Glutton4...]

White dots? Thistle.

[Martin H]

I reckon it's a baby sowthistle. Any prickliness in the leaves?

[binley100]

My california poppies are popping up ......not good in december

[Sweet Alford]

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I would like to subscribe to the poppy theory but there was a 4 foot thistle in the wilderness last summer which could have seeded several thousand babies. The seedlings are not prickly (yet) so I never would have thought of thistle but I'm glad I asked and I am grateful for your expert advice. A garden full of thistles is not what I had in mind. Yes, I do live near the coast, west of Caister.

[Two_Sheds]

despite clearing the site beforehand, some weeds have come up.

They will do, and every time you turn over the soil you are exposing more weed seeds to the light so they can germinate. Try not to turn the soil any more, just hand pull the weeds

I would like to subscribe to the poppy theory

It's a sow thistle, could be smooth or prickly. Good food for guinea pigs. Def not a poppy, they don't grow in this cold

[Sweet Alford]

Many thanks to everyone for your help. I have started to remove the young thistles but alas do not have a guinea pig to feed.

Season's Greetings to you all.