DON'T EVEN THINK OF BUYING THIS PLANT!

About 5 or 6 years ago I "bought" one Corydalis heterocarpa from Plants Delights Nursery.. It has now reseeded to the point of worse than Jewel Weed ever thought of being. I can't get rid of even half of it before I turn around and it is back. Tony Avent should take this out of his catalogue! I actually coddled little seedlings and transplanted them to other parts of my garden thinking I had something really special. LOL Gardeners are always learning. Just passing this along in case anyone was thinking about getting one.

Hey there levilyla. Why don't you add that plant and Photo to the Plantfiles? I don't see it listed there; just as general principle, to warn people.

You can ask Terry for help if you don't know how to do it.

Oh, BTW; I did see one for sale today at the local Cider Mill Farm. They wanted $3.99 for it!

~* Robin

This message was edited Jul 9, 2005 7:11 PM

Hi levilyla, I have a plant just like yours only it is a lupine. They seed theirselves all over the place and kill out my other plants even daylilies. I have been weeding them out--I have been putting them in a weed patch--they can grow there.

I think I originally paid more than 3.99! And I do not know how to post a picture on plant files or do I know who Terry is.

Levilyla, Your corydalis planting is amazing! It's so interesting to read how plants do in different gardens. I planted some of the same thing, thinking it would look nice at the edge of the patio. It limped along the year I planted it, barely came back after the winter and died midseason. So, I planted houttuynia cordata in its place. WHAT WAS I THINKING????? It has poked its multicolored little head up in beds 30 feet away, and I'll never get it all!

OMG I HAVE THAT ALSO AND THINK I GOT IT AT A GARDEN CLUB MEETING ( YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HAVE THE SALE OF PLANTS NO ONE ELSE WANTS) AND THAT WAS TEN YEARS AGO AND I AM STILL TRYING TO GET RID OF IT. I THINK PEOPLE JUST STARTING OUT AND ARE TRYING TO "FILL" AN AREA SHOULD BE WARNED...BUT YOU KNOW, THEY NEVER LISTEN BECAUSE THEY JUST WANT PLANTS! DOESN'T MATTER WHICH ONES.

i have two. tasmanian violet and dwarf mex petunia. what was I thinking. On the tasmanian violet, I took the precaution of potting it and the darned thing "jumped" off the pot. I wasn't paying too much attention and now it is all over the place.

On the mexican petunia. It grows everywhere, but in feb. I whacked it off, and I MEAN, whacked it off, and that seemed to slow the spreading. I think I will continue this practice. when cut it off, though, pick up the pieces or they will root where you leave them.

We should start a site of "PLANTS NEVER TO PLANT!"

you got it.

go to http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/527867

This message was edited Jul 10, 2005 12:12 PM

It would be an interesting list, since we all have such different conditions. I have bishop's weed and ribbon grass growing in terrible circumstances (dry, shady, thirsty tree roots, poor soil) and they go nowhere. For others, including the people who gave them to me, they're a nightmare.

Is anyone growing Nicotiana?
I ordered 3 this spring and yes they have a wonderful cloud of fragrance around the front door.
I finally thought about starting to cut off the seed heads before they ripen.
Too late! When I plucked the first, hundreds of the tiny little specs spilled out. I think this is going to be really bad. Especially since the seed pods are so very sticky.

I'm wondering if I should rip them all out now?

I think Nicotiana are fairly easy to control. I have this problem with Arum (which I didn't even plant) and with some type of violet that chokes everything else unless I pull it out by the wheelbarrow-full.

I agree with Kneff, however, that these plants can be useful in spots where nothing else will grow. I bought some kind of geranium at the flea market a few years ago. The next year I saw the same vendor again and he said he had forgotten to warn me not to let it reseed. Too late! It would cover the whole half-acre if I let it. It is invaluable, however, in dry shade under trees, where nothing else will grow without excessive pampering. Here's a picture of it.

Anything can become invasive. I spent a whole day weeding my rock garden of Glorosia Daisy. It has been in there for years, but that last couple years it has been spreading. The good thing it only comes from seed, so once you pull a plant, it is done.
When I first moved to this home, 20 some years ago, I bought some plants from a famous blub company in Michigan. They all died or were dead when I got them. They sent along a "free" gift. I am still trying to eliminate the "gift". It's the plant that they plant on roadside banks to keep them from washing out.
Bernie

I don't have gloriosa daisy, but I do have daisies galore. My sympathies, CountryGardens. I dig them out and move them to the back of the propert where they can seen to their heart's content. Found 3 more clumps in the middle of the lawn yesterday that I'll have to get moved.

yes Zuzu, that is geranium Roberta (or Herb Robert)..I have it and let me tell you..we saw it at Gravetye Manor years ago growing out of a stone wall. I feel that if it was okay with William Robinson, it is okay with me. It does reseed alot but is a pretty little thing.

I can easily believe the stone wall story because I have it growing in a fir tree, in several spots where the branches meet the trunk. Now, how much soil could there be in those spots? It's also growing in a couple of my doormats. I usually let it run its course in those spots and wherever it's blooming between very tall plants, such as Canna. I pull it out around the rhododendrons and anything shorter, however, because it gets so tall and so thick that I can't see anything else.

Country Gardens........word of caution.....from a Michigander....and one who has purchased plant material from Michigan Bulb.....stay away from them.......at least for me and everyone in my Garden Club has has bad experience from that company as well as my Master Gardener group. If you check out the Watch Dog, you can see for yourself.....
only 131 positives,
99 neutrals
381 negatives

nuff said on that company....

Ohhh I like it ZUZU! I got just the place for it...will take some off your hands. :)
Sylvia

Hear, hear, Deann! Yes, the prices are low, but if you buy 10 things at that nursery's low prices and only 1 survives, what does that do to the price structure? Unfortunately for those of us who have been gardening for some time now, that was once one of only a few gardening-by-mail resources, so I could tell you many sad tales, spanning decades.

levilyla, read here:

PlantFiles: Meet your PlantFiles Editors http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/489995/
To get your plant in the Plantfiles check with Terry http://davesgarden.com/members/Terry/

~* Robin

That was my one & only buy from them, 23 years ago. I must not even be on their mailing list anymore, as I don't get their catalog.
I do all my buying where I can pick the plant up & look at it.
Also by having our own retail, I get to buy wholesale. We have a bunch of different Hostas & lots of perennials in our shade house to pick from when I decide to plant.
Today I picked some of the leftover annuals & put them in some spots that were a little bare. We finished our annual shade garden yesterday. Must be nearly 200 plants in there.
I have a hard time letting all those pretty annuals just die. We have quite a lot leftover this year. It was a poor spring for selling plants this year.
Bernie

Hi 8ftbed.....I planted Nicotiana Sylvestris last year and they grew to be over 6ft. tall. Collected half a gallon size ziplock bag full of seeds. I never thought the seeds that were spread outside would make it through one of our winters but just the last few days while weeding the garden I've noticed volunteer seedlings all over the place. Got some growing in the crack of the sidewalk! I left a few in bare spots for filler. The only bad thing (or good thing if you don't want them) about waiting for them to grow from re-seeding is that it's already mid July and the seedlings are only about 2-3 inches. The seeds that I started in the house are about 4 ft. tall and blooming already.

Toni

I had the same thing with Nicotiana reseeding..they never got big enough to bloom...just lots of leaves growing everywhere on my brick and sand patio.

I'm growing Nicotiana, Blaine.

If you want to post a pic in the plant files, you go to that spot down towards the bottom that says "browse". Click that, and then navigate on your computer to where you have the picture stored. Double click on it and then click send. The PDB takes 1 to 2 days to post the pic, because they go over it to make sure entries are correct (like you are not putting a pic of a hosta in it when the plant is a gardenia, etc...).

I ordered mine from Flower and Scent. They were starting to bloom in the hoop house and once outside they didn't take long to take off. I think it's fragrant cloud that stands up with big leafs. The other isn't as stout. BUT - I already have volunteers up 4".

Toni- how did you deadhead/collect seed pods without cutting off the entire head? Those things are so sticky I kind of gave up after trying to snap a couple off. They were going to have to be snipped off or every one I wrenched off was puking it's seeds all over anyway..

Last year was my first year with Nicotiana so I waited till I had stems of dried pods before picking. I would snap it off and just shake into a big plastic bag. Since I know how they reseed now I'll probably just snip the individual pods off as best I can.

Have you noticed how they seem to attract hoards of aphids?! Last year some plants were covered solid with them....yucky! Maybe it's just in my yard but thats the only place I found all the aphids. I still love the plant for its unusual flower and it's height.

I love the fragrance. I haven't had aphids in years but I've got ants up the wazoo this year.

Me too!! Inside and out. Driving me nuts!

Keep an eye on those Nicki's b/c I'm starting to see some on mine.

...me too Toni ...I got those stinking ant baits all over the kitchen. ......and the mosquitoes ....and the fleas jumping off the cats due to the Frontline application. ...and I saw a Grasshopper yesteday! its eating my red Hardy Hibiscus...its going to be a long hot summer!
Sylvia

oohwee....you're scaring me Sylvia!

So far all I got is the ants getting in the house and the aphids moving in on my Nicotiana and one lousy vole that I've been trying to drown for the last two weeks. At least I THINK it's a vole. Never had one before but I keep finding a hole about 2-3" diameter in the same spot so I've been pouring water in there to overflowing. I'de probably drop dead of fright if I saw a big ole vole or God forbid a RAT!

Whats a Vole Toni?
Sylvia

I thinks it's kindof like a big mouse that feeds on plant roots. Never seen one but I understand they dig holes in the ground and that's what I got. I've seen tiny mice here and there outside but this hole is bigger than any of the mice I've seen. There's a whole thread on them in the Garden Foes forum I believe.

I'm not real clear on the diff but a vole and field mouse are pretty close in my mind.

toni - sure you don't have chipmunks? This is the first year I've ever seen them around here and now I only see them in my yard. I've found 3 of the big tubs now that they've gotten in and tunneled down but run into a dead end and pop back up the otherside. I flood it and noone is home. The little sugar ants (or whatever the little ones are) were coming in the house as well. I found something called Hot Shot thats clear and in a bottle like window cleaner. Sprayed the ones I saw and around the doors where they were streaming in. Inside and out. The DD found another entry point and sprayed that area and I haven't had them inside anymore. Three different sizes are outside.

I'm up now because I noticed the security light on in back. Not one but TWO cats and ones I haven't seen before. Guess it's time to get some traps but then again

Hey 8ft

I actually wouldn't mind a chipmunk. At least they're cute (Chip and Dale and all). I googled Vole and they show the difference between a mouse and a vole. Voles are bigger/longer. Anyway I'm just guessing because of the size of the hole. Also there seemed to be some chewed up aluminum or something outside the hole. Whatever it is it's building a nest.....industrial style! I've been flooding it everyday and I think I may have won. No redigging of the hole in three days. Hope it relocated to my neighbors yard (two pit bulls and a german mix)!

As for those stinkin ants they're coming in through the windows. I don't know how but that's where I find them. We keep an Oleander plant on the enclosed back porch during the winter and for some reason this year it excreated some kind of sticky sap all over the place. On the floor and all over the mini-blind on the window. That's where the ants keep hanging out. Tried cleaning it all off but I guess I need to buy a new mini-blind. Let me add that plant to the list of NEVER TO BUY if you have to overwinter it. This year it's up for adoption and if no takers it's getting executed!

As far as the cats go....I took the garbage out at 1:30 a.m. (nightowl) and just about jumped out of my skin when a black cat ran past me and jumped the fence. Hope he was a mouser and not some pampered housecat! I love cats though but can't have em cause DH allergic.

Toni

We've had a bug-fest this year, too, with ants, silverfish, etc galore. We don't have any trouble with chipmunks, even though there are a lot of them. The rabbits and deer eat my plants, the racoons get into the garage and eat the dog food, neighborhood cats are stalking under my bird feeders and my dog pooped in my anenomes.

Toni - must be a city mouse, building one of those nice industrial design lofts in Chicago :)

As long as it's not a condo!

LOl toni :)

8Ft ...you trap cats? OMG! they could be someones darlings! LMAO!

Sstateham...you appear to have a real bad attitude towards your pests.....even your dog....you got me rolling!
Tony what color is your Oleander? I just bought a white one...didnt know they leaked sap! ...mine will be outside...but...I am afraid becuse we got these buffalo size ants here... and I think they fly!
Sylvia

lol Toni - my cats are house cats, but they're also darn good mousers. They like to play with them first, though. Silly me, I can't stand to hear them scream, so I usually snag them from the cats and put it outside away from the house. But I still find them once in a while, just thrown away toys.....

Ants seem to be a problem here. too (Fredericksburg, VA). I lifted a brick today outside the carport door to sweep, and about a billion of them poured out. Little tiny ones. I'll have to do something about them before they figure out how to get inside....

Hi Sylvia!

My oleander is pink and about 4ft. tall. I've had it for years and always overwinter inside the house and never had it leak sap before this year. The stuff is sticky and it was everywhere within a 2 ft. radius of the potted plant. Hope you know the plant is poisonous. Make sure you keep the kitties away.