Thanks to this forum, I am becoming much more aware of what (other than ticks and chiggers) has been in the jungle on the other side of the road for 30 years !!! LOL. This is growing in the bar ditch and I would like to save the seed and put in my flower garden. Have no idea of the name of it.
Your plant is Western Ironweed, Vernonia baldwinii, a very wonderful plant to have I love it.
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VEBA
Josephine.
Thanks. I'm going to try to collect the seed from it. The City/County rarely mows the ditches out here anymore due to budget problems, so hope they don't do their rare mowing before I can collect seed from this plant. It is very pretty.
DNP
Just keep in mind that it will spread and make more plants nearby eventually. So be careful where you put it. I'm moving some from my front yard to an area it can spread out without problems...near my new shed, next to the back driveway. I've only got one moved so far (before the extreme heat and no rain made moving plants unwise for now). It's back there just blooming away, I noticed the butterflies found it there already!
I was seeing those pretty blooms around here in the un mowed park too. Glad you got a picture. I actually remembered to take my camera the other night and the battery died just as I turned it on.
Well, don't be surprised if you see something on the news about a crazy old lady being arrested while trying to protect a weed !! Of all things, the City/County is hot topping a street nearby and they have been parking their big trucks and other equipment on the corner where "my" Western Ironweed is that I posted the photo of. So far, as best I can tell, they haven't driven over it yet but it will be a miracle if it survives the day.
DNP
I am sorry the flowers are in danger of getting trampled, but if you mark the spot so you can find them later, you can dig up the roots this fall after a good rain and plant those in your garden, they are very hardy and the roots are large so be sure you dig deep.
Josephine.
Thanks, Josephine. At least there's hope !!
I was about to mark the spot....now they have been all mowed down :-((((
They will sprout back up, look for them after a rain.
I can relate...that has happened to me many times! The mowers strike again.
I was about to mark the spot...now they have been all mowed down :-((((
O.K. girls, it has been my experience and i have also read that Ironweed seed has a very poor germination rate, I have tried many times with no success. I realize that it must germinate at times, since it does show up by itself, so try the seed and maybe you will have better luck.
It does better from young tender tip cuttings in the spring, and also from digging and dividing the roots.
If the two of you come to the Fall swap in Arlington, I will have one for each of you to get you started, but you will have to remind me about it o.k.?
Josephine.
Thanks, Josephine.
And when is the fall swap in Arlington?
DNP
The date has not been set yet, waiting to work in with other commitments, but we should know by next month.
Not only did the iron weed survive the street paving project but look what was visiting it a few minutes ago. I MUST get some of this growing in my yard so I don't have to wade through the johnson grass to see what is on it. LOL. People saw me with my camera and started stopping wanting to see what was going on.
DNP
That is so gorgeous!!!
Thanks Josephine. I will keep it in mind.
DNP....Plant some of the Ironweed seeds I gave you when you were here the other day, it is the same plant. Then also look at the bottom of those and see if there is a short one that you can dig and clip the top off of to help it survive. I wouldn't set it out in this heat, just pot it and wait until it shows new foilage before transplanting.
