This showed up this spring and I think it washed down the hill from where I sowed a wild flower seed packet 3 yrs ago. The plant is lush green with rounded leaves about 6-7 in. high, grows in mounds and looks like would make a great ground cover. The flowers close when the sun goes behind the house and puts it in shade. Ive tried posting a photo and tho Ive posted photos before here, it wont let me today. I think it may have something to do with the size setting Ive selected on my camera.
tiny orange flower with a red eye
Maybe Anagallis arvensis? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2267/
That's it. Thanks so much. Im glad to know more about it. I really like it. I'll try to save some seed and put it in other places. Cam
I wouldn't worry about that--it'll put itself other places just fine!
I don't know that you'd really want to use it as a groundcover though--aside from the weediness, it's pretty now but gets ratty and dies back later on in the year. Then it reseeds and comes back again same time next year and is pretty for a little while, but with a groundcover I think you'd want something that had more going for it all year round.
Thanks for that advice. I was thinking maybe among the irises. I like things that show up, bloom prettily and then go dormant giving the stage to what comes next. Do the seeds have little tufts or wings? like Dandelions or do the seeds just fall?
They must just fall. I grow a close relative of this one on purpose (Anagallis monelli) which reseeds a little but not nearly as much as A. arvensis does, and the seedlings never come up more than a few feet from the parent plant so they definitely don't get picked up by the wind or anything.
Thanks so much for your help ecrane. Now Im going to go look up monelli!!
It's gorgeous--true blue flowers that are a good bit bigger than A. arvensis. A lot of places list it as an annual, but I've found that my original plants will usually come back, and each year I tend to get a few seedlings. I actually wish it would spread faster like its weedy cousin does because I love, love, love the color of the flowers. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1290/ Mine do best when they're in a spot with a little protection from hot afternoon sun--they like sun but the summer heat seems to frazzle them a bit