A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Murphy's Mystery (via e-mail)

I got the seeds from a lady in Dayton, Oh. at a garage sale.
She called it a cardinal bush. I guess the cardinals love the seeds that
form after the blossoms bloom. My plant got about 5 feet high, but hers were
over 7 feet high. Out of around 25 seeds only one sprouted. I hope to
collect all the seeds I can off this plant for next year. Thank you so much
for your help. I have more pictures of this plant if it will help.
Thanks again, Murphy

I have Cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) The flowers look kind of like yours, but the growth pattern seems different!

I have a beautiful lilac bush that color.
But, don't have any photos of it. Looks a LOT like that!

Cindy

Does it actually have hard wood/bark like a real bush or are the stems hollow like???

Any chance of taking another picture of it,
and backing up a bit??
And one of the stem????


That would be great!!

Is the color of the seed, black and shiney???

Weezie

I hope the more complete picture helps. We had a freeze the other night so I don't know if I'll get any seeds mature enough to grow now. Wish me luck. At least if I find out what it is maybe I can find more seeds for next year. Thanks for all your help.
Donah

"Murphy",
I have been looking for pictures of something that I thought it might be...
I have something very similar, but not as bright pink, mine is a very pale pink and white..
If it's as hardy as mine is, the seeds will germinate right in that area, if any fell to the ground...
And mine is just a plain ole weed. But I love it, I like to pick it with my other flowers as an accent piece in the bouquet!!!
I have searched alot, I don't know the name of my weed, but like I said the similarity's between the two are very much alike..
The hollow stem, redish hue to it, the shape of the leaves, and the shape of the flower, just a different color or brighter color I should say, and the seeds, that are black and shiney..
I will keep looking...

And let me know if you were able to see any seeds on the bottom of the plant...


?What I would do is...
Check the lower half for any seeds...
Those are usually the ones' that mature first and more than likely survive any initial frosts......
If they're half green/half brown, snip way back to the main stem of the plant and take that all...
And maybe hang it up by that stem... to finish drying....

And have you covered the plant, it may just be granted enough time to ripen something for you, maybe????


Keep us posted!!!!!

Weezie

Weezie,
Thanks for all your help and advice. I have been covering it, and so far so good. But we're supposed to get snow in a couple of days so I don't think covering it will help. I did check the lower branches of the plant and they don't seem any farther along than the rest of it. I'm going to cut some flowers and put them in water and see if I can get any seeds to mature that way. I'll also take your advice and hang some to dry and see if that works also.Thanks again.
Donah

The people up the street have their whole hedge done in something like that - I called it lilacs, but I guess it isn't really.

It's purple and the flowers are very similar to what you're showing here.

We also have one hanging over the parking lot from the neighbour's place - it's very similar to that flower.

One seed - hoo boy! Guess it's like the lottery - all ya' need is the one set of numbers to come in.

I think it is in the knotweed family.

check this out:
knotweed

The kind I have around these parts is only about 18-24 inches tall. I always thought of my variety as a well behaved weed. I have learned that there is a butterfly that uses it as a food source, can't remember which one. My variety is native to the midwest.

***Rue Anemone,
Thank~Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!
That's the one I have, and the one that Donah has, has got to be in that very family/cousin!!!!!

Same type of stem, same cluster of flower and the seeds that were discribed sound the same..,
black and shiney.....

My sediments exactly, it's not hard to pull out if it's in a spot I don't like, but I have alot of area I need something in... and it is tall, and some of them in one area I let go and it was probably 4 1/2ft high (it was right next to a compost pile, so that might add up for the extra hieght and a tad shadey, and the other section got mowed a few times, but it they bushed out nicely....

and I love them for flower arranging, I pick flowers and those one's are great fillers, something along the lines of a baby's breath for a delicate accent in the arrangement...
But I am coo~coo for wild flowers...

The color Donah has is simply awesome though!!!!
What a gargage sale find!!!
Weezie

Rue Anemone,
Thank you soooooo much, my garden got so wet this summer because of allthe rain and the only seed that sprouted was in the wetest part of the row. Now I know why. I have just the place to grow them if I get any seeds this year.
Thanks again, Donah

Bill,
Thanks for all your help and for posting the pictures for me. I hope I can return the favor some day.
Thanks, Donah

I found one that's a little more like the color I have....
But it's not as pink as your Donah's is.....
Polygonum lapathifolium

Weezie

2nd picture

Weezie,
I went to that website and on page 4 there's a picture that looks like my plant, thank you so much. Now I can reserch it more and maybe find a place to get more seeds. Thank you, thank you, thank you, you've been sooooooo helpful.
Donah