Ronda_m_tx wrote "We have a different flower language down here... My Old Maids and Althea bushes turned out to be Zinnias and Rose of Sharon... It's a challenge gardening in our area...East Texas Poultry and Walmart..Was looking for Brugs a couple years ago...the phrase of the day was..What's that..."
I responded with "Try a "trumpet tree" for a Brug. Datura is "angels trumpet" and then got to thinking about the old time names and unusual nicknames our area uses. Made me think this could be a fun thread....
By all means you don't have to be a Texan to join in! (Even if you want to be.)
Different flower language down here Not indigenous to Texas
So I can't resist being the first post. An older friend who has given me many plants asked one day if I had the miniature hydrangea. Always looking for the heirloom and unusual, I got excited. When he brought me a piece, it was (drum roll) what else but Lantana. I politely thanked him and planted it by the rest.
My grandmother's Rose of Sharon turned out to be Althea also. Took me forever to find someone who knew what I was talking about,
lol..I've called a primrose a buttercup many many times...
I never knew cannas were called 'flags' in the olden days. ;) One of my friends said she liked my 'flags' and I had to ask her what she was talking about. lol There's always a first.
Lin
Or Iris... I have picked up flags thinking it was cannas and picked up Iris...
TxT I didn't know buttercups were a primrose until I started reading gardening books.
Lin
Well I knew the rose of sharon/ althea thing, but the rest of your names are really new to me!
I hadn't heard or thought of flags in years. That is an oldie!
Well the Purple Heart is never called that by my family. I grew up with it being called "Moses in a boat" or "Purple Passion".
Is your Purple Heart/ Moses in a boat/Purple Passion the same as my Wondering Jew?
Not a great picture but this is Moses in a boat, Moses in a cradle, boat lily, three men in a boat, Moses in the rushes and a few other names I can't remember. The real name is Rhoeo spathacea. The underside of the leaf is purple (pretty) Mine hasn't bloomed yet, it was a garage sale find this summer.
This one is Setcreasea, commonly known as purple heart. I love the color of this and in this zone 8a, I can put it in flower beds and it will come back yearly.
I don't have wandering jew but there are many variations. This one is kissing cousins to the jew. It is Cyanotis somaliensis called pussy ears because of the hairy leaves which also have a purple tint. Guess I'm just crazy for purple...
This one, I don't have a clue but it's pretty, purple on the underside of the leaves too of course.
Your purple heart is what I have always called wandering jew.
Yup that's another name I've heard for it. Mostly I get it if I like the looks. Then I worry about IDing it.
This is my Purple Heart, or "Moses in a boat" that comes back each year, and I always have loads to share.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1160/index.html
In Miami we call this Moses in a Boat, Podster your first pic is also prevelant in Miami... I forgot what its called, I think we called it Joseph's Coat. I dont see here what we called the Wandering Jew . It funny how these plants all got Jewish connatations.
I got so excited I forgot to post my pic.
This message was edited Jul 5, 2006 9:48 PM
Ohhhhh Purple can always make me swoon. That is lovely.
Here is the Wandering Jew that runs all over Miami. :)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/4904/
forgot to post the link :)
This message was edited Jul 5, 2006 9:38 PM
Now that's the one I've always heard called wandering jew...
Podster do you overwinter your "Boat" plant? :) Its amazing how different these plants look here and at home we take them for granted. When I lived in Connecticut I was amazed at all the hoopla over the Poinsetta, at home they were used as shrubs.
Oh! my pic of whatever its called. :) It humogus now growing all up into the Rose of Sharon!
This is my first experience with the 'boat'. Do you think it will need protection? I probably will till E can get it to multiply. What is the pretty plant to the right with the purplish tinged centers on the leaves? That has interest....
Amaranthus. I dont know which one but I finally got it to stop reseeding it self. That little plant can get to six or eight feet tall. I kind of miss tho, but it was hiding my clemitis vines from the sun. be careful of what you ask for... some sent me these seed from some place in the deep south, I thought it was a bush. :)
Hummm... my kind of plant. Around me it's called survival of the fittest. Does it bloom?
Is it this one Sylvia? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1381/index.html
Which ever one it is, please bring me some seeds or start me a cutting and bring it to the Arlington swap Oct 7th...... please! I have loads of room for tall plants that want to reseed.
OMG Sheila! I dont think there is anymore back there. I will check. I still have more of those seed that were sent to me, but I cant find them. Anyway thats definitely the plants!
Somebody mentioned Purple Heart to me one time and I didn't know what they were talking about. lol Finally I realized it was Wandering Jew. I also had never heard Amaranthus called Summer Poinsettia.
Lin
I grew up calling a primrose a buttercup. When I found out and told my sister, I think it burst one of her last remaining bubbles. And how can people think it is a weed!?!?! I love it.
Don't think of it as a weed, think of it as a native wild flower. There doesn't that sound better?
You're right, april. Presentation is everything...
Yeah trust me, I bought a six pack of pink evening primrose, planted those wild flowers in my yard and looked up and down the street to see that many others had the same lovely wild flowers growing in their lawns! Hmm and I thought I'd bought from an exclusive retailer! Well!
Since lots were talking about Moses in a Boat/Wandering Jew...I am wondering what this is. It sure looks like WJ but it is a tiny version - the leaves are very small - about the size of fingernail - green on top - purple on the bottom. It grows like crazy...looks nice in a hanging basket and does really well as ground cover. Hard to get rid of though...every little section that hits the ground grows!
Does anyone know the name of this? I just call it miniature Wandering Jew.
~ Cat
That plant looks much like my Baby's Tears. I've also heard it called Mouse's Ears. It grows everywhere it touches soil. I like to use it in pots around tall plants so the tall plant won't look so naked.
Lin
Sheila,
I would LOVE some of your Purple Heart. I'm working on a RU here in boerne but am also trying to schedule in the one up there.
this is what I call Wandering Jew
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2470292
I will D-mail you renatelynne about the Purple Heart.
Yes, Aprilw, that is WJ to mee too. I have the striped one, just not as much of it.
I also have been given the small on Cat just posted. I too would like the name of it.
The tiny jew is pretty and yes April the link looks like the WJ I grew up around.
I think I found the little fella! http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/13420/
Is it the Bolivian Jew or Turtle Vine?