Weeds?

I get a little nervous when something does well for me. This came up from a wildflower mix. Should I yank it?

and this one. I luv it but have no idea what it is.

close up of the fleurs if that helps

Dalia, those are lovely and are only weeds if you don't want them. Frankly, I would try to take a piece of each to a botanist for identification -- or put it on the identification forum. You might want to keep growing them each year.

Whites might be mums (early bloom variety)? Yellows look like desirables to me, too....

Paj is so right: If you like 'em, keep 'em. Most wildflowers are weeds to SOMEBODY!

I think this is an id for the white one...

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1020/

That's it!!! Thanks plutodrive. Yeah its not on the Alberta invasive list!

They're beautiful!

The achillea came from a friend who didn't know what it was (does now thanks plutodrive) The yellow daisy-like one is from a wildflower mix from http://www.florabundaseeds.com/default.htm They have great seed. I've emailed them to find out what it is.

I always encourage the wild ones (excluding known invasives) because my life is so much fuller when I look upon a new shape and color in my garden. I love the wild flower mixes and I cut up my meadow and plant a new bag every year. It is like a walk into a new mountain valley every time I go out there to see whats new. Good job Dahliaone.

Dahlianut,

I THINK we have those yellow ones growing wild all over the place right now. We have about 4 different yellow varieties at the moment. I'm heading out on a walk and will take a picture to compare. I've got a great wildflower ID book and will try to figure it out and let you know.

Thanks upfor. I haven't heard back from Florabunda yet. I think it might be Tickseed. It looks like tickseed coreopsis grandiflora 'sunburst' native to the southern states but maybe it emigrated here. I'm hoping it self seeds and comes back. I never touch that bed except to sow more seeds and pull out thistles (oops got a mix with thistles one year). I have a HUGE clover (I luv clovr) that comes back ever year that probably makes the neighbours verrrrrrry nervous. o forgot I added pixie lilies and crocus. I have some verrrrrrrrry interesting tiny pink flowers coming up this year which I'll post. Also I started siberian wallflower in pots and babied it in the greenhouse and then planted it out and babied it in the bed and it croaked. Later it was in a wildflower seed mix which I tossed in and now it comes back faithfully. I think soferdig has the right idea "throw it into the wind but don't throw it on your driveway" ^_^

Hmmm, I'm stumped. I thought that they might be this. I'm almost positive the flowers in my picture is Little Sunflower, Helianthella uniflora. I can't tell from your picture what the leaves look like. The petals on your flowers don't look lobed where I think the tickseed flower petals are lobed. The yellow ones are tough to ID. There are so many. Now you've got my curiosity. Let me know what you find out.

Oh shoot, I totally spaced. I think my pic may be Arnica. Yours could be too. If I remember right, someone told me a few years ago that it was Arnica. The leaves are narrow and lanced shaped.

Your yellow-flowered daisy is Anthemis tinctoria - a short-lived perennial that seeds prodigiously (but they are easy to pull out).

Achillea ptarmica is correct for the white one.

(Edited for spelling.)

This message was edited Jul 26, 2008 8:47 PM

Thanks, altagardener. As you can tell most of us aren't that great on wild flowers. Hope you will drop in from time to time.

Thanks, pajaritomt.
Re. "wildflowers"... neither species is actually native to North America and thus are not wildflowers... and there's the reason I've never been tempted to buy a so-called "wildflower mix", LOL!

I agree with you on wild flower mixes. I think each individual wild flower likes different treatment for growing. Yes, nature just throws them out there, but lots don't make it, too. What I like to do -- in my vacant lot is just encourage the wild flowers that come in by themselves. Little by little they multiply. Of course, it is a vacant lot and I don't attempt to make it a "yard". I have seen an increase in the wildflowers planted by nature, but not a massive show.

I have gotten discouraged about trying to figure out what is or isn't wild or native and how that is defined. I think it makes a difference if one is trying to encourage native plants or discourage invasive foreigners. However. It gets too complex sometimes for my simple mind. I just take pictures and let others identify things.

I have learned the names of lots and lots of New Mexico plants over the years, then forgotten them. The thing to do is to get good at looking them up! I am not that great at it, but I get by. Of course, buying the plants and planting them in your yard with a label helps!

I actually started a 'sports card' album for tags and seed packs in an attempt to keep track of what's out there. For me its best to try to have alot of natives so I don't lose a whole bunch in a bad winter. I live in the invasive plants of Alberta site checking out volunteers and new wildflowers I put in.

Sports card album, hmmm... that's a GREAT idea!