question for gardeners
All right, can anyone positively identify this mystery plant? It came up as a volunteer on the north side of my house, and seems to be self-seeding, because it keeps coming back each year. It blooms like this from the first week of August till frost. Bumblebees love it. Minnesota.
Pleased but puzzled, L.
Pleased but puzzled, L.
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Sandy wrote: "Looks like Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis). Some places classify it as an invasive species (it's originally from Asia, as you might guess), but it isn't terribly hard to get rid of, and it s..."Mm, no, doesn't seem to be. Note serrated leaves and alternate flower shape and color, among other differences.
Jewelweed has also been suggested, which seems closer except for the color. It does seem to do well in shade.
It seems remarkably hardy. It has survived growing in rock mulch, weed-whacking, Roundup, and Minnesota winters.
Which certainly makes it a plant for me...
Ta, L.
No, definitely no dayflower. This is dayflower (Apologies if the image links don't work!):http://mywildflowers.com/detail.asp?p...
Yours does look like some variety of jewelweed/impatiens. It comes in many different colors, so don't worry about that part too much.
Looks like this one, Impatiens balfouri. It may have escaped from someone's garden.
http://taste.ecrater.com/p/3354370/im...
Plainbrownwrapper wrote: "No, definitely no dayflower. This is dayflower (Apologies if the image links don't work!):http://mywildflowers.com/detail.asp?p...
Yours does look like some variety of jewelweed/impatiens..."
Ha! That's it exactly. That it comes from the western Himalayas may explain why it survives in Minnesota.
Impatiens balfouri, huh.
It doesn't bloom here until August; perhaps people treat them as weeds prematurely, and that's why there aren't more around. I shall try to encourage mine, although so far they have thrived on neglect. Which I am very able to supply.
Ta, L.
Here ya go -- it's known to be a good reseeder in MN. Not mentioned til the bottom of the page:http://statebystategardening.com/stat...
And it's known to have become naturalized in Wisconsin.
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?...
Lois wrote: ".. thrived on neglect. Which I am very able to supply."Ha ha! Needed a laugh. Thanks. Those are pretty little flowers. ^^
Apparently this plant has a Product Safety Label. Short form: this goes boom. The PSL is that it's also called "Balfour's Touch Me Not" The wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatie...) mentions "The fruits are glabrous capsules about 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long and the seeds are dispersed when the fruits burst, launching them up to 6 metres (20 ft) away." It's called "explosive dehisence"Keep out of the reach of children, and possibly wear eye protection when working around it.
Ed wrote: "The fruits are glabrous capsules about 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long and the seeds are dispersed when the fruits burst, launching them up to 6 metres (20 ft) away." It's called "explosive dehisence"That's pretty great! So, there might be explosive spore pods in her yard?! I can't stop grinning. I wonder what it looks like when the seeds burst. Maybe there's a YouTube for that. ^^
OMG There is! (though I'm not sure if it's the exact same kind)
How cool! I wonder if it will grow in Denver? Of course, just what I need is another plant that tends to spread.
Hummingbirds like it too, I see, wow.Ta, L.
Jane wrote: "How cool! I wonder if it will grow in Denver? Of course, just what I need is another plant that tends to spread."Denver! You're close to me. ^^
Lois wrote: "Hummingbirds like it too, I see, wow. Ta, L."I love the cute little sounds hummingbirds make. They're fun to watch. ^^
We have a lot of those here in the south of France. They do reseed on their own and they can be a bit invasive if unchecked, but they're pretty and harmless as far as I know. I've always loved touching the pods and making them explode, especially as a child (there isn't a child I know that doesn't like doing this here once they learn how it works) Only the ones ready to seed explode so it's not even harmful for the plant itself :)
So, there might be explosive spore pods in her yard?! I can't stop grinning. I wonder what it looks like when the seeds burst....after a Cetagandan bombing raid, maybe?
Smurphs wrote: "...after a Cetagandan bombing raid, maybe?"Sadly, I had to google what that was. ^^;; I've only read the 5 Gods books. *creeps away feeling sheepish*
Hummingbirds and thrives on neglect?! Send me a grenade for my garden! Superfluous by now, but It surely is impatiens balfourii. (Unwieldy) link is to a photo that perfectly matches:
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...
Ed wrote: "Apparently this plant has a Product Safety Label. Short form: this goes boom. The PSL is that it's also called "Balfour's Touch Me Not" The wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatien..."Isn't this what killed Ilyan's memory chip?
I got a note from my wife about this one:this is an invasive species, Impatiens balfourii, native to Asia. You would do well to eradicate it before it escapes your yard and infests other areas.
It's already naturalized -- known to be naturalized in several areas. A little late to be worrying about eradication.And it is not listed on the USDA invasive/noxious weed list:
https://plants.usda.gov/java/invasive...
Also not on Minnesota's noxious weed list:
https://plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?...
Ed wrote: "I got a note from my wife about this one:this is an invasive species, Impatiens balfourii, native to Asia. You would do well to eradicate it before it escapes your yard and infests other areas."
The term "invasive species" can be misleading. If the following link connects, scroll down the page to the impatiens balfourii picture and comment. What's good enough for the Indianapolis Museum of Art gardens... :)
http://blog.arrowheadalpines.com/2012...
Jane wrote: "How cool! I wonder if it will grow in Denver? Of course, just what I need is another plant that tends to spread."It is self-seeding in Central Saskatchewan (-40f winters) so I'm pretty sure it will grow anywhere.
It has the bonus of being particularly attractive to bumblebees.
http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.p...