especially if you are chronologically gifted as I am. In my mother' s yard was a perennial flower (not shrub-like) that had fringe-y blooms in shades of lavender that smelled like grape kool-aid. The stems flopped over and the calyxes were carnation-like as I recall. Do any of you recognize this description at all? My mother's home was in Northern Louisiana, I think it would have been zone 8a.
My dear country cousins
Passionflower, ? dont know about the grape smell
I also think it might be a passion flower. When I lived in Austin had different varieties growing on their own. (Don't know if a bird planted them, or a previous owner had.) Kinda recall that at least one smelled like grape kool-aid. All were fragrant. One type is also known as 'maypop', but it's more of a pinkish one. There's also one that's a pale shade of green with purple innards. Sorry. Haven't learned my 'technical' terms.
I was just flipping thru some pix in various plant files and it suddenly dawned on me. The flowering shrub/tree that smell likes grape kool-aid is mountain laurel. The flowers sorta resemble wisteria or lilacs if you squint. Don't think that's what you've described.
This message was edited Dec 17, 2012 9:33 PM
We had passion fruit vines or May Pop but this is a low growing plant with multiple stems about 24" tall but they flop over onto the ground. When I say fringe-y, I mean like Carnations are fringe-y. The sepals resemble those of carnations a little bit as well. I think I mislead folk using that word. Thanks for reading my post. Most people only read those with photos so I probably wont get many lookers.
The grape cool aid smell is what has me confused, do recall what season it bloomed?
I am stumped and curious.
I know it bloomed in the summer and it was in part shade. Maybe dont rely on the fragrance description. You know how to different people, things often evoke different opinions.
Could it be Beebalm, Monarda fistulosa? http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MOFI
Or dianthus?
Dianthus looks like a good candidate http://home.howstuffworks.com/define-dianthus-carnation-pinks.htm
Thanks guys. I am familiar with both monarda and dianthus and it was not similar to either. i have googled with all that I know about the plant and I dont see any photos that look like it so far.
liatrus?
Could it be a Texas Mountain Laurel - sophora? It is called the "grape koolaid plant" by some.
TB
hmmm, never heard of peonies being purple? larkspur?I dont have my ref books with me, but it may not have been a native- just a cherished favorite..
Dont know name of this one either - tho I suspect a verbena of some kind-confess I am curious to the flowers name...
clerodendrum?
Isn't that a sage? It looks like lyre leaf sage but the flowers are bigger than mine have.
This message was edited Dec 19, 2012 7:38 PM
It looks like a type of Germander to me.
I looked at every entry in the Caryophyllacae family containing dianthus because of the similarity of some aspects and I think Ive identified it as double bouncing bet which is indeed a very old yard plant. Some photos on google look more lavender than pink. I remembered lavender. Other people describe the scent as "sweet". Im not certain this is it but it is very, very close to what I remember. Thanks for all your searching.
This message was edited Dec 20, 2012 3:03 AM
Good, I am glad your mystery is almost solved.
I found a nice link to Bouncing Bett, Soapwort,
http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/soapwort.htm
This message was edited Dec 20, 2012 7:35 AM
Look at its leaves, they are round and not exactly green not like a germander at all.
You are right, I guess I didn't focus on the leaves.
I dont even remember where i took that pic! But I meant HIS flower!
It's pretty whatever it is.
Jo, your photo is the "single" form. look at the "double" form. The single form looks nothing like the flower I remember from childhood. I found it in our plant files but I dont know how to post it here from there.
here is the photo from plant files that looks almost identical to what I remember. (figured out how to post)
This message was edited Dec 21, 2012 4:35 PM
I had that plant in my MI garden. Its like a weed almost. I don't remember it smelling like grapes though?
Very pretty Marty, glad you figured it out.
Its hardy to zone 5 at least. I didn't know it was drought tolerant.
Newton, it smelled like grape koolaid to me back then. I notice none of the postings I found on the net mentioned that scent. They just called it "sweet" smelling. I know our senses are pretty subjective. Perhaps that accounts for my thinking that.
It's a tough plant but not that pretty. It does get tall and fall over but if you need something to fill a rough area it can do that. It is nice mixed with plants that can prop it up. Not really attractive on its own. Now I want to smell it to see what it smells like. I remember it was fragrant but can't remember exactly what it smelled like.