First year seedling is already 8" across. Flowers are quite small. This was obtained from mislabelled exchange seed. Help me identify it. I'm zone 5 so need to know if it will winter over or if I have to save seed. How large will it get? Thank you!
what is my mystery plant?
Not many plants that color - you would think it would be easy, but I don't have a clue. I got an ID on your windflower seedlings though ;)
I would save the seeds, sweet potater vine and a new smoketree come to mind with that color.
Al
Have you also posted this in the Identification Forum? You'll probably get an answer there.
Very glad to have a new NE gardener aboard! Welcome!
Welcome Rocky (the flying squirrel?). I don't know it either. I'll let you know if I see anything.
Dave
Your plant is Talinum paniculatum, more commonly known as Jewels of Opar. An annual that has recently been showing up at plant sales and garden centers that are more adventurous. I had purchased a few seedlings once at a botanic garden plant sale, and now I get seedlings in the garden, in very strange places. Johnny's Selected Seeds sells the seed, and I think that it is worth growint. Once you grow it, at least in my Zone 5b garden, you may have a few volunteers but it has hardley been a pest, more of a nice surprise.
I have noticed that the seedling don't appear until late July, so the soil temperature must have to be warm. Some seedlings appear in front of my greenhouse near a walk, outside, where I grew them once, and a few others come up in some large tubs of topiary that we're wintered in a cold greenhouse brought out of the greenhouse for the summer.
Regardless, I love this plant and would buy it if I found the seedlings soled in the spring. At first, the plant looks like basil with golden leavs, but bu late summer if has wonderful stiff wiry stems of red berries that contrast nicely with the foliage and give an airy effect to the garden. It's nto a pest, but rather a choice, unusual tropical annual worth seeking out and growing in containers and the border for both it's foliage and it's late summer display of berries.
This message was edited Aug 15, 2006 12:21 PM
Your first day, and you've taught us all something already! Makes me want to go out and buy one.
Welcome.
I looked thru the plantfiles on this one and it's really neat. thanks for the pic, flyingsquirrel, and the info, exploraculture. I have made a note of this plant.
gram
Thank you all. Please get in touch if you want seed (if I get any.) This leaf is spectacular. Great idea to grow it in a tub; I don't see any insect damage yet so it might replace, colorwise, the sweet potato which here gets bugs.