Plantidote of the Day 2012-07-16

Mystery plant (possibly a weed)

A few clues: this plant is easily 7 feet tall, with very big pale green leaves covered in what feels like velvet. Before those seed pod things appeared, there was a big lavender flower (sorry, I don't have a picture of the flower). Now the flower is gone, leaving behind the seeds or whatever they are.

This plant is growing outside the fence of a very nice estate kind of place. It doesn't look like it was planted on purpose. But if it is a weed, it seems like it would have been removed by the gardener. It's been there for months and no one's touched it, though. Very odd. But now for the real question: What is it?

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Readers, please send twig (twig4now@gmail.com) images and stories for the ongoing Plantidote of the Day series. In exchange, you'll win undying fame in the form of a hat tip! Plants growing in your garden, your house, or neighbor's yard, plants from the forest or farmers' market, plants you preserved, plants you prepared (wine; cider; tea; dried beans), plants you harvested (grains; chantrelles), plants you picked (flowers), plants you dried (herbs), plants you covet or hope to grow someday. Herbal remedies, propagation tips, new varieties, etc.. And if you can, include some solid detail about the plant, too -- a story, the genus and species, or where you got the seeds, or the recipe, or your grandmother gave it to you. Or challenge us with a "Name That Plant" mystery entry ... And please feel free to add corrections and additional information in the csomments.

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