Anyone grows this? Centaurea macrocephala 'Lemon Puff' (I think)
It is not happening to me this season. No puff. lemon or not. Only some weed-looking foliage which I debated the whole season if I should pull. It looked so nice on the catalog. I know, they all do. LOL.
Just want to find out if 'Lemon Puff' is something that I should wait for couples years.
'Lemon Puff'
I would also be interested in any response to this.
I was planning on getting several of these for next spring (again, I liked the catalog pictures). If they don't perform for several years, I may want to put off my purchase.
Oh, and I think it's 'Lemon Fluff'
This message was edited Sep 23, 2004 12:12 PM
Was it "Fluff"? I ordered them from Spring Hill. Planted them last September.
You are right, finally found it from Spring Hill site
http://springhillnursery.com/product.asp?pn=65033
You would think if I make a mistake it would be on the latin name instead of the common name. :-)
Well, no fluff on my plants. LOL
Interesting plant....Class A weed :-)
http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/bigheadknapweed.html
Good grief!
I guess I am lucky that it DIDN'T flower. "Once established, this species is very difficult to control" I don't want a million of these.
Well, guess what my gardening project today is going to be? Fluffy-cide.
Thanks, rikerbear!
:-) It sounded so purdy too.... Lemon Fluff (Puff)
Spring Hill strikes again. they love to sell weeds as desireable plants.... and weeds are after all 'wildly successful plants'. lol
I've had Centaurea macrocephala in my garden for a few years. It's a big plant but I'd never class it it as invasive. It doesn't make very many seeds and the plant stays in a clump... it doesn't wonder around. It does make some big roots but with a little elbow grease it wasn't hard to get it out. The foliage isn't much to brag about but I think the flowers are kinda neat and different. I got rid of mine this past spring just because I wanted the space for other things...
I've wondered that myself.
Some plants are only invasive when given the right conditions. It's a common practice to control certain types of 'vigorous' plants with less than ideal conditions.
There is no question to me that some area of Washington state has those conditions that promote the growth of this plant, though if you read the website information closely, it escaped captivity and spread to 10 acres in something like 60 years. It currently exists in only two locations in Washington.
While I am very cautious when in comes to plants that can make a mono-culture or reduce the biological diversity of an area, this really doesn't seem overly invasive to me. As noted above by poppysue, it did not spread for her at all, even though she is in the same zone 5 as a good portion of Washington state.
I would be curious how many years she had the plant before removing it.
This message was edited Sep 25, 2004 12:38 AM
I did remove all the Centaurea macrocephala with great satisfaction. It didn't appear to be too invasive, but I only planted them since Fall 2003. I was glad to have that space for something else. The leaves of this plant is not at all like the ones on Springhill's photo. I like plants with nice foliage as well as flowers for all season interest. Popysue was being generous saying "The foliage isn't much to brag about " :-). There are truly invasive weeds that look better than this one.
May be I was looking for excuses to get rid of this one. LOL.
BloomsWithaView you are right Spring Hill strikes pretty often, and seldom do you get what the catalog shows.
I have this Centaurea that I have had for at least 5 years and it has not been that invasive. I purchased it from Wayside Gardens. I don't know the variety.
That is so pretty....looks a lot like my persian cone flower.......oh WOW according to the Plant data base it just might be.
Persian Cornflower, Knapweed
Centaurea dealbata
http://davesgarden.com/pdb/go/31509/index.html
Yes, that very well could be the one. I was surprised to see it blooming. It usually blooms in July and then its done for the summer. I imagine they would bloom all summer if I would keep them deadheaded. I am a little laxed in doing that.
This is my first year with mine, and it seems to just keep right on blooming....and I rarely deadhead anything (lazy hehehehe)