When visiting my brother this summer in San Jose, CA, I noticed this plant in his yard and harvested some seeds. When I asked what kind of plant it was, he said they call them weeds, because the just invade his backyard. Anyway, does anyone know what this plant might be? I've never seen it around the midwest. Thanks.
Roshana it looks like the seed pods of Nigella, common names persian jewels or love in a mist. They are annuals here and reseed themselves like crazy. They are easy to pull up though. http://plantsdatabase.com/go/38264/
Thanks, NoH2O! I hope that's what they are. Do you have them there in zone 5? Reseeding must be why my brother considers them weeds!
This message was edited Oct 29, 2003 7:59 AM
The plants and the seed pods look just like nigella. The seed pods can be dried and used in arrangements. They are not weeds here (I am in zone 5 too although the new map says all of Ohio is in zone 6 - I think that will be news to some of my plants). However if you let them go to seed you will have them forever, LOTS of them. I deadhead most of mine and collect seeds from the remaining pods. Then I sparingly scatter seeds where I want them.
If you are not sure if this is nigella, post it in the Identification forum. There are a lot of very smart people there who will recognize it if it is something else. I sure would hate to be responsible for you planting weeds all over! LOL
Looks like Love in a mist and not a weed in zone 7.
Thanks, again NoH2O. Glad you agree, yardbird. I didn't realize that there was an identification forum! I think I'll go with love in a mist, though, so thanks.
Yes, that's nigella. I have some too, but they never reach weed status, I think because it gets too hot. They self-sow, but just barely enough to keep them from dying out. My plants turned brown months ago. The light blue flowers in this picture are the nigella. They also come in pink and white.
Thanks Kelli. If I may, I'd like to send this picture to my brother to see if he recognizes it. They have a pretty small but shady backyard, so they might have a better chance to gain the "weed" status there!
Sure, go ahead and copy the picture and send it to your brother.
Ok, thanks Kelli. I'll be interested to see what he says!
oh, yes...Nigella, and I have about 200 volunteers throughout my garden right now...tell your brother to be sure to pull them before the seedheads break open or they'll take over his yard. I planted them for the first/last time last year. They ARE pretty if you can control them. Maybe I'll try again sometime...
Well, Plant_fiend...you too are in San Jose! Maybe they are a weed there! He hadn't pulled them up in August when we were there and i doubt that he's done it yet. So he will have many more next year! I will alert him. Thanks.
Well, you know, one man's weed is another's prized heirloom variety. Though for the life of me I don't know how anyone could consider Nigellas, with their delicate ferny leaves, lovely blue flowers and bizarre ornamental seed pods a weed. Plus, it's easy to pull up. Oxalis pes-caprae, now that's what I call a weed.
Ha! So true, eje! I think they will look at them differntly from now on since I made such a big deal of them! My sister-in-law even said she added it to her list of known/named plants!
I'm not familiar with oxalis pes-caprae, but here yarrow, goldenrod and Virgina Creeper are weeds here but not elsewhere. I was at a party once in Grand Junction, CO where the guest were ooohing and awwing over Virgina Creeper growing up the hosts fence and I had a hard time biting my tongue!
I love Virginia creeper, but fountain grass, now that's a weed.
HA! and I've been coveting fountain grass! And yanking out all the Virginia Creeper I see!
