Honeywort, Blue Shrimp Plant, Blue Wax Flower 'Purpurascens' (Cerinthe major)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/216/index.html in the "Plant Files"
Wow, this is a beauty, I think. It is said to grow easily from seeds. If anyone has the plant or seeds, please let me know and we'll see if we can arrange a trade.
Jeremy
It does grow easy from seed. I had started some from seed this winter. did well until it got hot, then just withered away, all of them. Not sure if it was the heat/humidity or what. And they were planted in different spot around the garden.
Jeremy - I also had this plant that I started from seeds - someone sent them to me but they were labeled "Blue Shrimp Plant" it really did good this spring - but like rylaff - it just withered away and I had my pots scattered all around yard in different areas to see what it liked and all of them are gone now.
Reading your posts above and those in the Plant Files page, your experiences with the plant seem to be the norm. I think there may have been one growing in the garden at an oceanfront home of a friend that I saw at a party last Sunday, but it was not in flower, so I'm not sure. The unusual leaves and stems, which I would describe as very similar to the way a Eucalyptus grows, looked about the same as what I see in the plant files photo.
If the plant the hostess had in her garden was the Blue Shrimp Plant, then she had found the ideal location. The plant was about 7 ft tall and very healthy. It was growing in a sheltered, mostly shady location on the westside of her house. It was protected from most of the strong sea breezes by fencing. I'll send an E-mail to her to see if she does, indeed, have C. major 'purpurescens' and, if she does, what growing tips can she offer. The hostess was once on the board of directors for the Bok Tower gardens, so she knows her stuff when it comes to gardening.
The seeds are available on-line for $2 a pack + $1 postage (for up to 20 packs of different seeds), so I may jnvest $3 and see if I can have any luck with the plant.
Jeremy
Hi y'all down in Florida..congrats on your new forum! Even though it's hot and humid up here in 'hotlanta', I have to really hand it to all of you for getting out in this weather :-). I know it's worse down there.
I was in SanFrancisco early last month and picked up 2 of these blue shrimp plants out there. They were no more than 1-1/2" tall. Potted them up and have them in full sun am, shade in the afternoon. They have grown by leaps and bounds. BUT our hot, muggy weather came late this year so we are really only into our 3rd week. I had my doubts when I purchased them but they were big ones blooming at the nursery...and you know the rest of the story, lol.
Thanks, Flam, for the endorsement for Blue Shrimp Plant. I'm still working on getting seeds and confirming that the plant can tolerate our high heat & humidity (and as of late, daily deluges!). It remains on my "gottahaveit" list.
Jeremy
I have been looking at this plant also, from what I have read it is grown as an annual that reseeds itself.
Connie
Jeremy,
I tried, I really did. We went to Top Tropicals last week and the tout having the unusual and rare. Asked for Blue Shrimp plants and he led me to Shamrock Green Crossandras. (I bought 4 of these)
Keeping my eyes open for you at other excursions.
Thanks so much for the many seeds you sent. They arrived and are being chilled now.
Molly
:^))))
Thanks, Molly, for being my "Plant Scout!" I think the Blue Shrimp Plant is on the top of my wish list currently and would love to try some of it.
If all goes well with germination, I may have a lot of new species of seedlings to bring to our Lake City DG Roundup in October. I clicked on a link in another DG thread and ended up at the seedsource.com website for Texas wildflowers. I "rewarded" myself for the recent successful art show by splurging on various wildflower seeds. I find most attempts at growing things from seeds to be very "iffy" -- the correct heat, light, soil, moisture, acidity, and viability of the seeds themselves, and other unknown cosmic factors, all have to coalesce in order to get good, strong seedlings, but here I am trying again! Some of the wildflower seeds are as fine as particles of talcum powder! I don't think there will be any method to plant them other than broadcast them over some good potting soil and see what happens. Hopefully, I'll have enough seedlings of about 15 different varieties to bring some to the Roundup.
The identity of the mystery seedling I had to give away at the Roundup at my house is confirmed by its recent flowering: it is Standing Cypress! and I'm very happy about that. It will be a great addition to my butterfly/hummer red flowering garden.
Jeremy
Jeremy,
The mystery you are referring to is the one we thought was cosmos but wasn't?
I have 2 of those and they are still quite short with the lacey foliage.
I did take 2 cypress vines and they are growing quite nicely. Here's a photo of the cypress vine.
And here's the short lacey one.
Molly
:^)))
Yes, the mystery seedling was the short lacey one, Molly. I have several of the seedlings that have remained the size of the one in your photo. A few of the other seedlings have shot up to be about 1 ft to 18 inches tall. The tallest one is the only one blooming. I suppose they are called "Standing Cypress" because the red trumpet flowers are so similar to the red cypress vine flowers.
Here is the DG Plant Files link for Standing Cypress. I hope my plants will continue to grow and look like some of the masses of red flowers that are shown in some of the Plant Files photos.
Jeremy
Jeremy,
I love that!!!!! Can't wait til they grow up. Such a bright red.
Thanks so much!
Molly
:^)))
Oops! I forgot to include the Plant Files link for Standing Cypress, but here it is:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/62372/index.html
Thanks Jeremy
:^))))
