Texas Yellow Star Plant

Maybe Debnes or Josephine can help me with this ....

Deb sent me some seeds which have sowed successfully. They are getting taller and lankier with age, which is fine since that is the nature of this plant. But ...... right next to my clump of plants is another plant that has not yet been ID'd. (I have posted a photo of it in the Plant Identification area.)

The weird thing is that the little yellow flowers look similar. Though the 2 plants don't.

Here is a photo of the Texas Yellow Star plant.

Here is a photo of the unidentified plant.

And here is a photo of them together. You can see the Texas Yellow Star in the foreground and the unknown plant in the back of it.

My question is .... Could these be the same plant?

One more plant question ...... I know this isn't the plant forum.....

Is this plant Bee Balm? Last year these plants didn't bloom. Now all seem to be topped with this unique flower.

Forgive me .....but this is my first experience as a gardener growing flowers/herbs/host plants ...... so I am still pretty clueless.

This message was edited Jun 5, 2007 9:36 AM

Yes Becky that looks like Bee Balm, (Monarda) to me. I don't know what the other yellow flower is beside the TYstar.. Maybe plant ID forum, maybe Josephine knows too. Look on the sticky Texas Wildflower Forum under Yellow colored flowers. See if there is something that matches there.
I will take a gander too.

:-S

Becky, I believe your mystery plant is also Yellow Texas Star, check out this picture from the wildflower center;
http://wildflower.utexas.edu/gallery/result.php?id_image=10906
Josephine.

Josephine - That's exactly what I was thinking. But the foliage of the two are totally different. Your link sure does look like my mystery plant! Do any of your Texas Yellow Stars throw out that type of plant foliage? I saw that you had some of this plant in your garden.

This message was edited Jun 5, 2007 11:50 AM

Oh my gosh! I think they are one and the same. Check out this link:
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/ast/lindheimera_texana.htm

That's really fascinating!!!! What a unique plant! And ...... it is from the Aster family! Wonderful!!!!!

Thanks Debnes for sharing some of your seeds! :-) :-)

This message was edited Jun 5, 2007 12:03 PM

Well, there you are mystery solved. It is a lovely plant indeed!!!

The blooms look the same (except smaller) as the Texas star growing in my yard. That's where I have been confused trying to ID your plant. Actually I have several Texas star plants. Interestingly, I have 3 plants that have the "regular" Texas star leaves and growth habit that look just like your taller plants and I have 3 plants that the leaves and branching are somewhat different. None of them are blooming in the center of a winter rosette that is that full nor with the blooms that close to the base of the plant.. There are only a few of the "old" leaves left at the bottom.. Perhaps this plant germinated late and has only had time to form the winter rosette which would be strange. The leaves just don't look right to me even if it is a winter rosette. The way you will be able to tell for sure is when the blooms go to seed which they do very quickly. Because you have your other Texas star plants, you will know what the seed head looks like (as well as by the photos on the link). It is quite distinctive.

(Posted on the Plant Identification forum also.)

After viewing your new photos in the Plant Identification forum, I can say for sure that your mystery plant is a Texas yellow star (Texas yellowstar). I have never seen one bloom on short stalks like that. However, I reviewed the information that I have about it and have found that it can bloom when the plant is only 2 inches tall. Because they stop blooming in the summer, it appears that your plant is blooming and seeding quickly. Could you please post your excellent photos in the PlantFiles.

I wanted to add that these were all grown from seeds this Spring. Thanks to Debnes!!! :-)

I wonder if any of Deb's seeds have grown two different plants as well?

Becky,
All I got was one and it's the leggier version.
I have a big Texas Star Hibiscus also.. First bloom today! Funny how they are both called 'star' and you'd think the Yellow would be like the red.. but nooooo! Totally different.

Here is the bloom up close>

Deb - I have 4 plants that came up from seed that you sent me. The winter rosette was a surprise. No idea why that happened, but it looks pretty!!! I've gotten seeds from several of the plants. Did yours ever produce any seeds?

I have a Texas Star Hibiscus, too. It is really bushy like yours, but no buds yet. I just recently transplanted it into the ground so it probably will take a while to recover. It bloomed profusely last year and was gorgeous! Can't wait until it blooms again. True red flowers for sure!! I wonder if hummers like it?

I have only gotten a few seeds so far .. I need to dig and see if I have any more of them from what I bought.. I really like the bushy one too. Turned out nice, and surprise to me too.

Yep I just remembered how much you and I both love the red flowers. I think hummers like all the Hibiscus... Especially the Turks cap, and more closed varieties. I figure they catch them at the right time and drink from the opening bloom before anything else could get to what's inside. I will have to watch for that whenever hummers officially find me and decide to hang around. I hope it's soon!


:-S

Hello there, speaking of Texas Star hibiscus, I have to show you this.
Normally there is one bud open to a stem, but this stem had three open all at once.
They usually have 5 petals, but these had one flower with 5, one with 6, and one with 7, which is extremely rare, so I thought you might enjoy seeing this.
Check them out.

Josephine, that is really strange. Mine has never done this. I better go check it in the morning. I would love it if mine have blooms like yours. So interesting.

Wow Josephine!
That is downright phenominal!! I am floored about the 5 6 7... Wondering if mine will ever do that.. I'm with Hazel, gonna have to keep both eyes on that plant now. How long has yours been planted in the spot it's in now?

Really impressive!!

Deb

Oh WOW Josephine!!!! That is crazy!!! I love the additional petals! What exactly are ya feeding that bush? To get more than one bloom, not to mention the extra petals ..... that's amazing! Talk about some weird morphing going on there! It doesn't glow in the dark does it???? LOL! Very, very nice! I shall be watching mine as well. :-) Since I already have the weird Texas Yellow Star rosette, who knows ..... maybe I'll get some more mutant plants! lol

Well Ladies, that was a most unusual plant. The picture is from last year, and that plant is no longer alive, the freezes got it last winter.

My Texas Stars are just beginning to bloom this year, it seems that everything is behind schedule with the cool and rainy weather.

Maybe I will get another one like it. If I do, I will be sure to save those specific seeds, with this one I didn't notice the petal anomaly until much later, when I looked at the picture closer, so if I have seed from this one plant, it is mixed with others.

The moral of the story, " You have to look closely and often"

Looks like you had a "Texas straight flush" there Josephine! Too bad it got caught by the freeze, but maybe it will duplicate this year with another plant.

Josephine - I hope there isn't a 3 Mile Island near you? What's in your water? LOL! That would be interesting to see if the seed from those blooms would produce similar flowers. Very interesting!!!

Thank you Everybody, I will be watching more closely this year.

Happy Birthday, htop!!!!! :-)

Wow! That is very, very strange onthe Texas Yellow Star! Becky, you are really smart to have even asked the question. I would never have thought there was a possibility that those were the same plant!

Do the butterflies like them both, or is one more popular? (I thought I might as well ask)

Suzy

Happy Birthday, htop! (Trying to redeem myself...)

I haven't seen anything on them yet. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been bees or butterflies. I have been watching the rosette closely. It has changed slightly. The flower stalks are growing taller away from the rosette. Still no seeds though. Which is odd. All the taller (normal) TYS plants have put out seeds almost daily. But the rosette has yet to produce a single seed. (See photo of how it looks today.)

Becky and snuzer29, thanks for the birthday wishes. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Speaking of Texas Stars............. Happy BIrthday Hazel!!!

Love,
Deb

Here's a butterfly hug for you>

Deb, the butterfly hug sure felt good. Thank you for your kindness.

Well, I might as well join in wishing you a wonderful Birthday, but don't forget the birthday forum.
Love;
Josephine.

Josephine, thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and the beautiful butterfly photo.

Take a look at this!

The Texas Yellow Star has the flowers growing up away from the rosette on a stalk. Oddly, no seeds though. Which I find very strange as my other taller normal TYS produce plenty of seeds!

could this plant have a male and female plant?

Renate - Hmmmmm ..... interesting thought. I haven't been able to find anywhere anything about the rosette except that it sometimes does that in winter. It's been an odd plant for sure! I like it very much and but know little about it.

Debnes - One of the stems and flowers broke off one of the usual TYS plants just above the lowest leaves. Now a new branch and leaves are coming off of that area. I am thinking about pinching them back and seeing if that will make them bushier without killing them.

Becky
You might double check with Hazel or Josephine, just to be sure..

:-Deb

Hazel and Josephine ......

Care to comment about pinching this plant back to make it bushier? Thanks!

I have never done that because the one I have is in a very crowded place and never gets big, but I think it would work just fine.
You might try a few branches first and see what happens.
Josephine.

Thanks, Josephine! I am definitely trying it with the one plant. So far, so good! :-)