The Year of the Mystery PlantSSSSSS

I'm tellin' you...this has been quite the year for guess whats in the ground. Ya'll were so helpful the last time....thought I'd give ya'll another pop quiz. I've been letting plants grow that didn't appear to be weeds...this one I actually stuck in one of my big planters with the petunias (those are the pinks you see beside it - THIS plant has no buds or blooms as yet). Does anyone recognize this? The center plant has arms with babies growing at the ends....here's the whole thing - maybe 10" in diameter

Here's a closer shot

This message was edited Jun 27, 2008 10:48 PM

That looks like a petunia to me. Am I crazy? Could some have self sown?

Actually I was kinda thinking that...ugh!!! I do not want an entire pot of petunias...I didn't realize they grew like an octopus! Me thinks it will be uprooted and moved to the side of the yard...where it can reseed for years to come...LOL. I have another mystery plant that ended up being one of my Nicotianas that had self seeded down wind from the planters they were in...I'll put him in the planter....

Definitely a petunia. I have some that self sow in a large pot on the deck, I had planted a basket of petunias that hung over the pot and was surprised the last 2 years to see them growing so I re-potted some to other containers, (love free plants).
The purple ones in this pot are the ones I transplanted. I also have a hanging basket with just the volunteers in it but didn't get a picture to post. Hoping the basket fill in more.

Ok...digger her up and moving her definitely - putting the Nicotiana in her place...thank you both

I'm so glad others said petunia, because that's what I thought too, but since I'm constantly looking for names for my own mysteries, I can never be sure. I feel like I got the jeopardy question. I love nicotiana, and haven't seen it one in years. What nico is it, Chantell?

Chantell, I am proud to say the Nicotiana you gave me at the swap is alive and well and waiting in it's pot (the one I transplanted it into) for a permanent home. I was wondering the other day if I could put it in one of my larger planters and after reading your posts, I wanted to ask you about putting it in a planter. How large does it have to be? How tall will it get? And, If I leave it there after it flowers, do you think it will self sow? I would love to know. Thanks.

I always second guess myself when I think I "know" what something is...LOL. Ok...the Nicotiana is 'Fragrant Cloud' be happy to share seeds with you Pam if you want to start some now....not sure how late is too late. Here's the plant files on it http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2872/ I uploaded pics of their blooms which are about 1 1/2" to 2" in size.
wyldeflwr - so glad she's doing well for you...I was a tad embarrassed to hand over plants that size but they're easy plants and I knew you all would do just fine with them. Just remember scent is at night - can't really detect it during the day. Height gets to be around 3 feet - that's my best guess. These can be grown in the ground or a large pot...mine pots are the very large square ones...guess they'd be equal to 5 gal + size nursery pot...16"?????maybe. Aren't you glad I know what I'm talking about? LOL Ok...marched my lazy butt out there...they are 18" wide....hopefully that gives you an idea. Do they self sow? Apparently b/c I've got 2 bigs ones out front that I most certainly didn't plant. One of them was one of my "mystery" plants...LOL...when I saw the blooms yesterday - I was soooo excited!!! I have to remember to photograph the leaves tonight so I remember next year. You gather huge amts of seeds from one plant through out the growing season.

Chantell, Ooooh, these sound lovely. I read your plant file entry. Night scented could go with my moon flowers, if they ever bloom. I'd love to have some seed from your 2008's. Right now I haven't the room for them. In fact I overplanted my two little beds, and there were a rightous number of squash plants that volunteered and have taken over everything. Fortunately, they have brought down the scale of the trellis beneath the deck. If it's ok with you, I'm putting necotiana on my wish list (or whatever the appropriate DG tool is called) with your name so I'll remember to ask at the appropriate time.

That'll be perfect!!! I've already had blooms....so I would say in a month I should have seed.

Chantell, I have just the right pot and space to put it. Sam's club had some of the large "stone" type pots on sale for $6 and $8 and I got three of them to give some petunias and potatoe vines a home. One is not full and I was wondering about what to add to it. I just cleared out the bed around them and I have some seedling nicotiana that I am going to try to add in that bed as soon as they get a bit larger. With all this heat, I figure that won't take long providing I don't let them dry out. Then next year, hopefully I can just pot up the extras for a swap or trade. See how positive I am? It's so good to know others have plants that they can't identify. I found two in one of my beds this spring and left them alone. I didn't think they were weeds because they looked like, well, not weeds. I moved one to a pot and it bloomed the other day. I think it is a verbascum. Maybe I will take a couple of pictures and let the folks here tell me what they are. One year I pulled out a bed of branch leaf coneflowers thinking they were weeds and it really slowed me down the next time I started trying to clean up.

That sounds beautiful....(LOL) it's exactly the mixture in my pots!! ^_^ I started today...taking pics of leaves and buds...and uploading them to Plantfiles...someone had mentioned that here recently and I thought - very good point. The Nicotiana is one in the beginning that very much looks like a weed...ugh!!!

Chantell, a pat on the back for pictures and loading into plantfiles! Every picture helps. I think it was hart, myself and can't think who else was talking about pictures needed in plantfiles, too many flowers, not enough leaves, seedlings and total plant to show plant growth.
I know we just can't resist showing off our blooms. lol

Wldflwr and others who might have the same tendency as myself when it comes to pulling what we think are weeds. I was pleasantly surprised this week when a plant that has looked like a weed all along and I decided to let it grow

Anyway, turned out to be a Jacob Cline Monarda. I have tried planting this plant on several occasions with no luck at all. I have at least 5 or 6 labels where I planted them and they never took. Well, this baby grew in one of my back beds and I cannot for the life of me remember planting it.

I am thrilled to know where to plant the ones that I will be having the mail order nursery replace. Also like many of you this is year number three for our gardening at this house. The first bed that we planted in is now almost over grown with a few things that we had no idea would get as large as they do. We have some major transplanting and thinning work to do come fall.

Speaking of the Nicotianna plants......There is one that must have re-seeded itself in the walkway part of front yard and is not about ttwo foot tall. That was another surprise this week. These must be some super duper strong plants because it is living in solidly packed down red clay that many of us have. I will be transplanting it too at some point.

Interesting read y'all.

Ruby

Ruby, your hummingbirds will love you!

It is funny how some plants will just find their own space to grow. I have a few that have done that over the years. I find also composting helps in this phenomenon. I get pumpkins, tomatoes, Gloriosa Daisy and Coneflowers popping up all over the place. Some I let grow, some I pot up and give away and others I just weed out.

Chantell, how is that petunia? Did it bloom yet?

Two surprises for me!
I have found two baby Redbud trees this week. They don't sprout very often. I think Holly found you're supposed to scarify to grow them.
And--I had given up on the tiny sprout of hardy passion vine that struggled all last summer. I planted my air potatos in the spot. Lo and behold...

oops- voila

Nice!!!!
No blooms on the petunia yet...still need to move it...

This is one of two tiny areas DH and I did lasagne style this spring to start gardening in what was concrete-like backfill. We are trying to minimize the trellis underneath the deck, but as you can see, the vitex, caryopteris, viburnum, and hydrangea are new and quite small. The morning glories are seeds from Beckygardener and the pumpkins and squashes on the left-hand side are volunteers of pumpkins we left outside after Thanksgiving. We left some seedlings this spring because they looked so healthy. Now they are huge with several of whatever variety of squashes they may be. I should have mowed the grass so it didn't look so untidy before taking the picture, but I just got a camera and couldn't wait to learn to use it. Next year at this time, I hope to have a different picture of a more kempt garden, more mature plantings, a hydrangea with blooms, a nicer edging, etc. etc. But it's a start.

Pam- looks great!

Pam, that's a great start! Love the morning glory, and hope you have room to let that pumpkin grow on your deck. If you have some potted plants up there it might be pretty cool to let the pumpkin ramble among the pots.

Oh I am SO jealous all that lattice and all kinds of goodies that can be planted...what fun....looks great!!!

I agree that the lattice is very good looking and works so well for vines.

Ruby

Chantell, Did the mystery petunia bloom?

Pam, how are your pumpkins? We need another picture of your deck I bet it is covered by now.

LOL Was just thinkin' about that - yes, I transplanted it over to the side of the yard and bless it's heat it has pretty pink blooms - which look rather nice beneath the purple MG's growing above it!!