This is growing like a ground cover in part of the garden, anyone know what this is? The leaves are very soft and velvety.
csiemens, has this plant flowered for you? If so, could you give us a photo?---or verbal description thereof?
So far this plant hasn't flowered (I moved in September of last year). It is quite a short plant, right now the leaves are around 2" and the entire plant is maybe about 3" tall.
we have some of this stuff too, mine has seed pods on it now and has 2 dried up flowers. I dont quite rember the name tho?..
This looks related, Blake09. I need to post another picture from a different angle to show how it appears almost like a blanket of groundcover, each plant seems only a few inches across, and they have grown together.
Well, the debate is over, I made a carte blanche decision and just pulled it all up. It was one of those dilemmas where I was trying to hold on to all the plants that pre-existed before I moved in, many are very beautiful and what I might have chosen, but this stuff, whatever it is, I just don’t like.
csiemens Look up Rose Campion. If that is it, it's a road side flower that has been around since 1300 or so. If it ever seeded you will have more come up. barb
Thanks Barbara Lloyd . You nailed it for me: http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/flowers/Lychnis/Lychnis coronaria.htm _
Blake 09 - I REALLY got one RIGHT? My knowledge is so scatterd, with great holes that I'm never to sure about so many things. That is one "weed" I do keep around because of the furry folage and bright pink flowers. If you give it the least amount of care it will go nuts and take over. Remember "a weed is just a flower out of place". Thanks for the feedback!!!! ;)))) barb
Oh, pshaw, Barb! In my observation, you get a LOT of 'em right. Have faith in yerself! Y'know one thing I've discovered being on this forum...that, more often than not, when I look at someone's photo of a plant needing ID---my first reaction is nearly always right. Then I second-guess myself, double-check...and turns out I was right all along. Amazing what variety and depth of data is stored in the brain! The trick is to access this info. The Zen of plant ID...do not consciously TRY, just let the answer bob gently to the surface. Kinda like a Magic 8-Ball.
Or togata, like they once taught in Transendental Meditation (sp?)- "just let the thought bubbles float to the top". This has been a wonderful way to spend a drippy cold Washington Day. barb
My problem is that I recognize what I'm looking at, but draw a blank on the words for it. Just like I do calculus but still mentally multiply because I never memorized the multiplication tables. I write computer programs without memorizing keywords and functions also. A quick reference source is much harder in horticulture than other areas.
I usually know what the plant is, and is supposed to do etc. but naming them is a whole different kettle of fish. I am also learning some pretty good stuff here like the name of my bulb from Sth Africa as it turned out, that liked full sun I had been growing it faithfully in the shade that I found it in 25 or so yrs earlier. Then one yr recently it ended up with a whole lot of sun and hey presto a wonderful strange orange red flower that looked like a huge buttercup. Liz (bit breezy and cold mid winter day and already the commercial daffodil paddocks have started blooming about a month and a half early.)
Liz....I live near the Skagit Valley Daf. & Tulip growing fields in Mt. Vernon, Washinton. They make a big deal of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival each spring. Daniel from UBC even came down to take a look this Spring. It's odd to think of you coming into Spring soon, completly opposite of us. That's what I love about this Forum - it's diversity! barb
We also have a big tulip festival in the next valley. Huge Dutch immigrant population (been here at least a couple of generations) and they carry on the traditions. I agree re diversity but I need to watch where people are from as most of the zones don't match what we have here in Aust. I am always fascinated by th great care given to some plants that we refer to as weeds Liz http://www.tulipfestival.com.au/photos/
I know what you mean. We had our Master Gardener Plant sale around Mother's Day and some Idiot potted up Policemans Helmet (Impatiens glandulifera) And they went ahead and sold it! Around here it can get to be 10 ft if happy and spits sesds all over. I guess one man's weed is another's flowers. It is really amazing the things one sees growing all over and think they are Native, only to find out it is not native and is taking over the world. barb
What a beautiful name and history! I would love to have a plant that was cultivated in 1300. I pulled up most of them, but a few survived, it looks like it is still staying very close to the ground, and not growing taller, so it seems like this may not be it. It is interesting that there are so many plants similar to this, I have something growing on the front year that is a larger version of this.
csiemens, it's considered a short-lived perennial, but is often called biennial as well. Mine put out the plant one year and it flowers the next. I've ended up with a continual mat of low growing plants that will shoot up in the second yr. to 2-3' high. I too, am partial to the old flowers, so many do have stories attached to them. barb
Oh interesting, thanks for relaying that, I will just keep it growing then and see what happens. It was funny, I just came back from the lunch place around the corner, and walked by my neighbor's (who has some spectacular plants), guess what, he has a little bit of Rose Campion in full bloom.
