A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Harpagophytum procumbens {Devils Claw, Grapple & Unicorn plant}

I would like to know what the heck this plant is, so I can look up info on when/how to plant the seeds from the pods that are forming.

There is an unattended field next to my property, & I noticed a plant starting to grow in the strip that we mowed to create a firebreak along the property line in July. (I figure that a bird, who didnt chew its food properly, deposited it there!) I kept my eye on it, at first thinking that it looked like a honeydew melon plant, but the (pink) flowers that came on were definitely not honeydew blossoms, but rather resembled something in the snapdragon family (except that they are larger & 'open', so they don't need to be pinched to open & close... & the leaves aren't anywhere near similar to a snapdragon, nor do the blossoms form on a stalk).

I dug it up & brought it to my yard, where I could watch it more closely & where it would be out of reach of the deer that roam through the field... although they hadn't seemed to be bothering it... which peaked my interest in it, as I'm trying to find flowering plants that deer dont like, for the flower beds in my un-fenced front yard.

Now that the flowers are done, the plant has developed quite a few seed pods, (I assume that's what they are) which resemble jalapeno peppers of various sizes.

That's about all I can tell you about the plant, other than it seems to be pretty hardy, is heat resistant, likes lots of water & flourishes in full sun. I've posted the photos, taken on 9/16, on Photobucket.com & 1 of the seed pods is also visible, if you look for it.

Any guesses?

http://photobucket.com/albums/a201/PattySpencer/

Patty, i am linking your pics so they show up here. i couldn't see them well on photo bucket.

My guess is it's a pink perennial geranium. I had one that had purple ones on it a long time that looked alot like this. It was something handed down by the grandmother. Anyway, that's my guess. I'll be curious to find out too!!

ya know, ohf, you might be right. hope someone who is sure comes by!

Here in Wisconsin we have rose mallow which looks like a cross between a geranium and holly hocks they are quite lovely. However we have what we call wild melva which looks just like this. And it comes in a variety of either pink or light lavendar. They look just like this...I have some and deer or bunnies don't seem to bother them. One word of caustion they do spread which is not bad if there in an area that you don't want or can't get anything else to grow. And they grow in anything.

OHFlowergal, I looked at pics of the pink perennial geranium on several web sites, & that's not it. I'm seeing that geraniums come in so many different varieties that even the foliage of 1 doesn't necessarily resemble that of another...HOW WEIRD! Still, I see no geraniums that throw a seed pod like this plant of mine is doing!

Wendy, I also found pics of rose Mallow, but they are in the Hibiscus family, which mine isn't, as it doesn't have that long style in the center. I'm interested in what you're calling "wild melva", & wonder if you can ask around & come up with an alternate name, because I can't find a plant with that name anywhere online.

Now, I wish I'd have paid closer attention to the blossom while the plant was in bloom, or taken a close-up shot of it, as my posted pic doesn't show detail at all, & the camera caught only the view looking straight down the throat of the flower! All I can offer to the description, that I hadn't mentioned earlier, is that (although I hadn't noticed before I went out to the yard with my flashlight a few minutes ago) the leaves, stems & seed pods are fuzzy & leave a sticky feeling on my fingers even though they are dry to the touch. (Might be something that happens to the plant as it goes to seed? Last week, when the pods were smaller, they were smooth & shiny, like a jalapeno! I'd also swear that the leaves weren't sticky..nor fuzzy, when the plant was blooming!) The dark green comma-shaped pods develop at the sepal, & have 1 compartment inside where round seeds are forming.

I have a hunch that I'm going to feel pretty silly when I find out what this plant is, because I KNOW I've seen it before! My attentions have always gone into vegetable gardening, so I guess I've spent my whole life NOT taking time to "smell the roses"... But I've recently discovered that the world is SO FULL of the most terrific flowers imaginable & it's as though someone has lit a fire under me! Your help is appreciated, & you can be sure that you haven't heard the last from me as I explore & learn!
Thanks everybody, for taking the time to post your comments & guesses, & Jiffymouse, for linking the pics up for me. (I haven't figured out how to do that yet!)

Oh... by the way, Wendy... whatever this plant is, if it IS whatever you have there, I'm going to love that it's invasive! I'm on a constant search for plants that deer don't like, as we live next to a huge field & the wildlife is forever coming into the front yard & pruning my roses bushes & snacking on green things! This year I got the idea of trying to plant a "deer barrier", & so far I've been successful with Dill, Basil, Love-in-a-mist, Blue star creeper & California Poppies. Usually, they can tell that these are things that they don't want to eat, so they turn around after a few steps into it & go the other way, seldom figuring out that there might be snacks beyond! The area I'm working with is on a slope, about 100' X 20', so the more deer repellant plant-life I can find, the better! (Especially if it's pretty!) Thanks for the tip!

OK, people.... I asked a lady from the local garden club about my plant & gave her a leaf & pod. She took it to the extension office & found out what it is! It's a Harpagophytum procumbens...commonly called Devils Claw, AKA Grapple plant & Unicorn plant.

I looked all over the web for it, just to verify her info & try to find out more about it, but I turned up nothing about its cultivation; only stuff about the medicinal properties (wondering why I'm spending so much on arthritis meds, when I apparently have a source right here in my yard)! However, I did find a photo of it on webshots.com...& THATS IT! This has been fun!

Where I come from devils claws are weeds! We used to get huge ones in the cotton fields and after a good rain would pull them up so that we got the roots. They make a seed pod that is hard and horseshoe shaped.

Fixed your picture...
Just so you know...

Maybe Rugby or Papito or Donna/Gardencrazy
will come thru!!!

It looks like some kind of
Mimulus lewisii

Not sure though???????? ???????????

Info on Devil's Claw

http://en.isodisnatura.com/harpagophytum_procumbens_l_devil_s_claw.htm

Info on Devil's Claw Cultivation here.

wow that is soooo pretty!! if the seeds come can I have some pretty please?