Identifying A Plant - Never Before Seen One Like It In The Cotswolds.

[Coppit]

Looking for help to identify a plant growing at and above the water's edge of a small river, below stinging nettles, which make a good comparison.
Leaves are dark green, very serrated, very pointed, narrow, very v-shaped in cross-section. Unable to get near to see if hairy etc.

[waterboatman]

I can't think of anything. It might be worth reporting it to the Canal and River Trust, it may be something not wanted, or they may be able to tell you what it is.

[Chipchopper]

Just a wild guess but could it be 'Himalayan balsome'

[waterboatman]

Good possibility.

[Buenchico]

If it is Himalayan Balsam, it's probably not going to stay below the height of the stinging nettles for very long!
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=480

https://www.gedlingeye.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/balsam-1280x904.jpg

[Chipchopper]

I'd like to google it and post a picture but I'm afraid i can't post.
maybe someone can help ?

[Chipchopper]

Ah thanks Chris!!

[Buenchico]

I used my psychic powers to predict your request, Chip!

[waterboatman]

Scary innit ;o}

[Chipchopper]

We could do a stage act. Hope its right!

[waterboatman]

The Magic Garden.

[Chipchopper]

Brill Boaty!

[waterboatman]

Happy to oblige. :o}

[Coppit]

A pal has just emailed to suggest Gypsywort. Google images seem to concur. The one here not yet in flower.

I would be a very wealthy man if I had been paid just 1p for every Himalayan balsam I've chopped down over the years along my local canal!

[Chipchopper]

Yes Gypseywort, with its deeply serrated leaves sounds right. Its Quiet abundant around a like near me.

[Chipchopper]

I meant lake ^

[sherrardk]

If you’ve got a smart phone, you can download apps that will identify plants from a photograph (although you only get a certain number of free goes).

[Chipchopper]

I think Gypsy wort was once used as a black hair dye and it was used by fortune tellers to make themselves look like Romany gypsies, hence the name