A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Herb~ for blush?

I got a start of some herb& forgot the name by time I got home with it.she said the pioneers used it for adding blush to cheeks.Its still a lil ity bitty thing.I'm not sure if this is the one that she said would grow 10 ft either.It's just 3 inches tall and has a limey green like to the leaves and a lil hint of pink on the leaves where the stem of leaf comes from stalk.I notice no smell.

Interesting ! I hope someone will know something about it. Can you ask at the nursery next time you go? I'm curious about it now !

Berries' juices were used as a dye stain lips and cheeks for pioneer days.......
(like elderberries..)

Beets too!!!

I think they used mullien leaves...it is mildly irratating to the skin and would casue the cheeks to have a rosey blush to them.

Here's a picture I took.




I hope that helps someone.It sure is pretty.

It is a pretty plant...don't know what it is, hope someone does.

I'll have to get another shot.its prettier now.If I remember at the party tonight,I'll ask Debbie what it is.she works the greenhouse.she brought them to June.I just took one out of the tray...wish I'd took more.....

Could it be a variety of Mallow?

Triss your guess may be right, as I searched through alot of books looking at pictures and some sort of Mallow was as close as I came also.

Its getting taller.I've moved it to my hex bed.I've not looked up a mallow with these pinks on the leaves.

here is a shot.



Its bent cause was like super hades When I moved it.so it recovered but held its wilted shape.I'll stick a blind stick when I remeber at the right time. Its in hex bed with blackie sweet potato vine crawling towards it.& will eventually shade its roots a bit.

Its still got a curve.........and about 9 ft tall.I wish it'd bloom!!!!!!!!!!!

9ft tall!!!
Have you taken a sprig of it down to the
local co~operative extention?????

hi yall, I've seen this plant before, just not exactly sure where; maybe a seed catalog 'johnny's in the salad section' or maybe as a weed in my own garden. Will give it somemore thought and reply when answer is in hand.

I wish it'd bloom.I don't know if its hardy.Least I'm a mild climate......gives me a chance........

Njoynit,
What are the orange flowers at the top???????

thats a very tall mexican sunflower tithionia.I lost the reddish orange seeds(RITA blew um)& I didn't grow the yellow this year cause need to lesson some of the yellow cause was overyellowbloomed in Sept-oct last year.theres also a even taller plant with orange...lions tail.I somehow lost the 1st blooming seeds that dried(when removed they we're empty?)I need a ladder to even CHECK the rest.Yes...Its taller than my 10 ft ladder.I keep asking myself why I got those tall THINGS in that bed That mexican sunflower...it gets some heavy traffic in that bed.I started seeing sulphers& swallowtails this week.so pretty soon I'll have that naked purple morning glory..lol


Still no blooms on that blush plant.I'm busy in yard... meldas been busy sowing flats of herbs for fall sales(yeah I can grow cilantro& dill now!)I NEVER think to to ask her about that blush plant

I can send you mexican sunflower for next year.I WS that one.Its the one the dogs didn't kill.

This is what I got!
http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/product_details.asp?item_no=S10742

Its called lambs quarters!Its edible kinda like a spinich tree.I'm eating a salad for lunch so will let ya know the taste.Its starting to get flowerbuds.Its also kinda blown over from yesterdays rain(which we needed!I might go play on the quad in the mud.Hubbys gone.I can blame it on someone else& he can't prove it being gone )
Here is a lil, more info on the plant,but this ones either white or green flowering.
http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/surprising-lambs-quarters/

Wow, I am happy you finally found out what it is, I would think that the leaves when young would be the best tasting???? So are you going to save seeds off of it??? I can't wait to see what the blooms will look like.

yes I'll save some then clip the rest so don't re-seed like mad in the hex bed.I was so lucky to run into Melda in walmart.she told me it would be a fuller shrub if I'd had keept it trimmed down to 4-5 ft,but would have had tons of millions of seeds.She said it reseeds badly.A few weeks you'll be able to see the flowers more.Its hardy to zone 4& suppose to root from cuttings easily.

So are you going to try pruning it back after it flowers and see what happens or will it die back and then come back in the spring for you?

I'm going to trim it back it back some& root a few of the cuts.I'll end up with seeds as well.She said they are black and small.I'm going to mix a few in with part of my 4 pm strip at end of yard.they can screen the neighbors yard& will match the fushia 4 pms& maybe help hold them up off ground when rains hard.
salad was good.