ID help please

Not sure if the pics are good enough but does anyone have any idea what this is? I've been waiting to see if the 'flower' would open more but it doesn't seem to want to. Caterpillars seem to love it though, it's covered in them

 

Oooh, I don't know Woo, I'm not up on caterpillars. Just googled and they seem to have little orange horns which mine don't. He's a handsome chap, though, whatever he is

 

Looks like Water Betony

 

And is that a good thing or not? It seems to be taking over one of the flower beds

 

Just googled it and that makes sense as it's the bed by the river bank and it comes complete with its own caterpillar

 

Don''t think its that invasive, only see the odd one or two along the river banks, now Himalayan Balsam on the other hand...

 

It's invasive where it is. Smothering the things I actually planted there like this poor creature


Think I'll move it and it's caterpillar tenants onto the actual riverbank where it should be

 

Yep I get that too, but since I learned what it is I dig it up as soon as it appears. Shame as it's quite pretty

 

Jenny

 

The Caterpiller is a Mullein moth @lost_in_france