By Dks
United Kingdom 
can you please identify this monster growing in my garden. I moved to this house 8 months ago. This plant has come up from nothing to ten feet in three months. Each leaf is approx 16 inches by 13 inches.
The stem is 6 inches ariund and has very fine hairs. The leaves are green with a reddy vein. Please see photo. I am worried because still growing. Will it attack.
Well week later growth slowed down something may be happening at the top. Will observe from a distance. Thanks again for the leads the two suggestions re sunflower still has the edge.Hopefully we will see.
Well folks many thanks for your help September at last reveals all. A very large sunflower. Many thanks for the accurate identification from two members. I know I am now pushing my luck but does anyone know the species. Its a deep redy/orangy flower. The photo is clear. At present it is 14 feet high and has at least sixteen buds.
11 Aug, 2010
Answers
Looks like a sunflower?! There seem to be a lot radomly appeared in gardens i work in. Maybe its like the Eryngium 'Miss Wilmots Ghost'. Where she used to sprinkly the seeds of the Eryngium into peoples gardens because she liked the plant so much? Maybe its the ghost of someone who likes sunflowers...? Or just a bird - bi
t more plausible!
11 Aug, 2010
I am reminded of a Cardiocrinum, a wonderful lily family bulb. It grows for several years, then flowers, then dies. They have already flowered this year, so maybe next. Even if my id wrong it doesn't seem to be doing any harmso why not just let it be. It looks wonderful and exciting.
11 Aug, 2010
run away, run for your lives i tell ya,, lol
11 Aug, 2010
I wouldn't worry unless it asks you to "take me to your leader". I think it's exciting too. Please take a pic if it flowers.
11 Aug, 2010
Wrong type of leaf veination for a Cardiocrinum, Bulbaholic. It looks like a sunflower, to me. Maybe a rook stole one of the neighbor's seeds and dropped it! I have also seen poplar sprouts that looked like this, but never quite that large!
11 Aug, 2010
Wow I am impressed with advice from 6 members. A big thanks to you all. I must say a cardiocrinum was looking good. Then I received advice possibly sun flower seed dropped by rook. Now that is interesting because we have sunflowers two doors up and we have a rookery close by.I have just inspected ny neighbours sunflowers closely. I can see some similarity in the leaves however the overall size is much smaller and her sunflowers are full of blooms. Well the jury is still out on this one you never know we may get a flower which will confirm. Meanwhile I will be watching this plant very carefully.Thanks for your time. Sunflower at present just has the edge.
12 Aug, 2010
Many thanks to all. I have the most beautiful sunflower planted by birds.
15 Sep, 2010
Lovely flower too - and the birds get to eat the seeds later, if you leave the head over winter.
15 Sep, 2010
What a beautiful "monster" it turned out to be! The color explains the red veins, which had me a little puzzled. Probably a natural cross between a regular seed variety and one of the multi-flowering red ones. Some bird was very generous!
15 Sep, 2010
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Lol - I don't know what it is, but you made me laugh - I don't think its a Triffid!
11 Aug, 2010