Please help me identify the following bulbs I planted in my garden earlier this year?

I bought some "tulip" bulbs from a local farmers market about this time last year and didn't get round to planting them till VERY late (I think they went in in April, not the October date as advised by the vendor).

I know I bought some dwarf versions as well as the "full sized" ones which accounts for the height differences.

However, all the bulbs have come up blind, however not flowered.

No one seems to know what they actually are other than they're clearly not Tulips.

One person has advised to dig them all out as otherwise they'll spread like "wildfire" and be like day of the triffids! Others have advised either thinning them out or leaving them to see if they flower next year....also seeing as they deffinately are a bulb will they spread if they haven't flowered? Please forgive my ignorance, I'm new to this whole gardening thing...hence the username!!

Has anyone got any idea what it is that I've planted - they've got a very nice frond form, however they'd be nicer if they'd flowered!!

Thanks in advance,

You're right that it's not a tulip.

The foliage is striking.

I don't know what it is, but I'm going to move this thread to the Plant ID forum where it has a better chance of being identified.

mrbrownthumbs: I'm not sure what plant you have there either. The foliage first reminded me of Nerium Oleander but not the growth habit. Can you give more information about the leaves? Are they succulent like, soft and hairy/fuzzy, any thorns along the stems?

Fritillaria?

Karen

I think Karen may be onto something ... check out some of these images of Fritillaria:

http://www.google.com/search?q...

I think I know what this is. It looks like Euphorbia lathyris, more commonly known as Gopher Spurge.

It's not a very attractive plant and it will spread, but wear gloves if you plan to pull it out. Some people get a nasty rash from handling it.

It's sold in nurseries here as a gopher repellant, but it isn't. It just isn't very tasty to them, so they eat everything else and leave it for last. It doesn't protect other plants from gophers.

LOL, I am sooo not good at comparing photo's! It indeed appears to be Euphorbia lathyris:

http://www.google.com/search?q...

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/w...

Thanks zuzu!

Definitely looks like that euphorbia.

Karen

Thanks for the info peeps - I agree it definately looks like Euphorbia lathyris and based on what I've read I'll be digging them all out this weekend wearing a bio-hazzard suit - I'm just thanksful that they don't appear to have flowered so hopefully they won't become a nightmare for years to come!!

It is gopher spurge in the younger stage. And it really does keep the gophers away from your bulbs that the gophers love to eat. I let them stay in areas I need to protect from gophers. The stray plants are easily pulled roots and all. You can keep them for reseeding by cutting off the blooms.

Thanks, however as I live in the UK and have never seen a ghoper with my eyes I've dug them all out - hop that I've cleared the lot but fear that I'll be seeing them for years to come!!

It will also keep away moles, shrew and such. It is the toxins in the root systems to repel them. : )