flower id

[pgreen18]

Hi, The blooms had fallen off these plants when the pictures were taken. This is a closeup showing the buds forming new blooms right at the stem where the leaves attach. A scan of the bloom on top of a leaf is in an earlier post of mine. This is the first year of the plant so it's probably an annual. It's in full sun and in southcentral Virginia. It started blooming just a couple of days ago. Can anyone help me with the plant's identification? Thanks !

[LabourofLove]

OK, not a foxglove. Sorry.

[pgreen18]

Thanks, LabourofLove, The blooms do look like a miniature foxglove except they are not clustered at the top. They became more clustered as they grew and did grow about as tall as a foxglove. However the leaf is not quite as narrow relative to the plant and more of a lemony green rather than olivey. I took more pictures but they are stored on another computer. I wish someone would send me a private email who has a lot of plant knowledge. I could send all pictures (they're pretty small in memory size). I've been meaning to take more now that the plants have bigger seed pods and fewer blooms. Thank anyone who has viewed the plant and tried to help me identify. I'm been going through a database that has over 800 pages of this type of plant, but no luck so far. The really odd thing is that I must have planted this seed because there were five plants in a row in the garden, but I can't think what it could be. It's a pretty plant, and I'm collecting seeds if anyone wants to try it (this must be an annual and is growing in South Central Virginia, zone 7). Thanks again for all of your help.

[LabourofLove]

This picture shows a plant that looks like a mallow relative because of the way the flowers closed up, but the original picture the pressed flower is most certainly NOT a mallow. PM to follow.

[LabourofLove]

Originally posted by pgreen18
Thanks, LabourofLove, The blooms do look like a miniature foxglove except they are not clustered at the top. They became more clustered as they grew and did grow about as tall as a foxglove. However the leaf is not quite as narrow relative to the plant and more of a lemony green rather than olivey. I took more pictures but they are stored on another computer. I wish someone would send me a private email who has a lot of plant knowledge. I could send all pictures (they're pretty small in memory size). I've been meaning to take more now that the plants have bigger seed pods and fewer blooms. Thank anyone who has viewed the plant and tried to help me identify. I'm been going through a database that has over 800 pages of this type of plant, but no luck so far. The really odd thing is that I must have planted this seed because there were five plants in a row in the garden, but I can't think what it could be. It's a pretty plant, and I'm collecting seeds if anyone wants to try it (this must be an annual and is growing in South Central Virginia, zone 7). Thanks again for all of your help.

I'm having a problem trying to PM you about your additional pix. Try to PM me. Thanks

[trees]

These pics aren't very good. If it came up on its own, it might be Rose-of-Sharon... very hard to tell

[pgreen18]

Thanks, Jesse, for looking and posting. It is definitely not a Rose-of-Sharon. The leaves are longer and all stem from the main stalk. And it isn't shrubby. It's probably an annual since it just came up this year and bloomed this year. Also the bloom comes up right above the leaf. I'm going to try to get more pictures of the plant now that it's almost gone full circle. Hope they are better. The problem is, they won't upload if file size is very large. Thanks again.

[HardDaysKnight]

What size is this plant. height, girth etc.
Are those stems reddish purple or is it just the pic?

[pgreen18]

Thanks, HardDaysKnight, The stalk itself is not pinkish/purplish, but the stem of the leaf was - I will see if I can get another picture uploaded in a few minutes. The tallest one was a little over three feet and the shortest one was about a foot shorter. The stalk was about a quarte to half an inch thick at base and narrowed significantly to the top. THe leaves were wide and serrated at first, but as the plant matured, became narrower so the blooms were more visible, and gradually, the blooms significantly increased so that the top was almost like a spike but the leaves were still visible (although smaller). I tried to take pictures yesterday, but had camera battery problems and didn't have time to change them AGAIN <grin>. Will try again today. Thanks to all of you who've helped me try to identify this plant. -patty

[pgreen18]

Hello again, I finally uploaded a few more pictures and posted them to a web page. Here is the address to anyone who can or is helping me to identify this plant. Maybe this will be easier, but I didn't have time yet to label - some are from above plant, some from side. The seed pod is fuzzy, but you can tell shape from it. It is ridged. THANK YOU ALL ! -patty
Web address: http://www.geocities.com/pgreen18/FlowerToIDSeveral.html?1126779607875 or: http://www.geocities.com/pgreen18/FlowerToIDSeveral.html

[Bill Schwab]

Just plugged in some Digitalis that looked similar to that. Not exactly sure though.

[LabourofLove]

Digitalis was my guess from the first pic, but the way the flowers open and close isn't digitalis. (Or if it is, it's one I'm not familiar with). I'm thinking a post to gardenweb might be in order - I admit that I'm stumped.

[HardDaysKnight]

It sure looks like a penstemon digitalis. It has the feaures of
the "huskers red" http://www.plantsafari.com/Images350/Penstemon-digitalis-Huskers.jpg
but I cant get the exact cultivar.

[pgreen18]

HardDaysKnight, I'm pretty sure it isn't digitalis - the blooms start out coming from the stem right where the leaves connect. Only after the plant matures do they appear to spike at the top of the plants. Also, the seed pods don't look familiar to me. They are not similar in appearance to okra, but they split open like those of okra and have seeds in separate compartments like okra, but the seeds are much smaller and not spherical. I'm posting to gardenweb (following LabourofLove's suggestion) and will surely let you all know if anyone comes up with the answer. Thanks for your help. -patty

[pgreen18]

HardDaysKnight, I viewed the digitalis on the plantsafari site. The difference is that the blooms are all at the top of the digitalis, whereas, with this plant, they are up the stalk to begin with and the seed pods are noticeable on the stalk as the blooms "walk" their way up the stalk between the leaves. And the leaves start out big and become more narrow as the plant matures. I like this plantsafari sit ! Thanks. -patty

[4seasons]

pgreen18
I looked at penstemon "apple blossom" in gardenweb looks pretty close from the pic. I couldnt see any of those wide leaves on any pics. so I'm not completely sure.
bruce

[Turtle]

pgreen18
From the first picture i thought hibiscus ? what kind wasnt sure
the second picture i thought okra which is in hibiscus genus. You show pink flowers Are they pink all day or start off yellow?
Hibiscus genus is my guess
Were they the seed pods in the last picture "mature plant"?

[HardDaysKnight]

Originally posted by Turtle
pgreen18
From the first picture i thought hibiscus ? what kind wasnt sure
the second picture i thought okra which is in hibiscus genus. You show pink flowers Are they pink all day or start off yellow?
Hibiscus genus is my guess
Were they the seed pods in the last picture "mature plant"?
Turtle, can you find and post a pic of a hibiscus you think
looks like that? You could be right but, any hibiscus in my
area looks nothing like that. Just curious now...Johnny

[LabourofLove]

I could go with okra if the leaves and stems are really furry (almost to the point of being prickly on older plants). I gave that some thought when the second round of pix were posted, but still can't square it with the original pix. That would explain the distinctive hibiscus-like spent flower shape. How tall is the plant? Some dwarf okra only reaches 3', but I've seen the old-fashioned sort at 6' and up.

[Turtle]

HDK me neither

I dont have a pic or post this is just from trying to narrow down the plant characteristics with a genus species.
Rose of Sharon is (Hibiscus syriacus) Okra is Hibiscus esculentus
I agree our hibiscuses look nothing like it. Just from what i can see, characteristics and everybody's guesses so far everything has been in the same family

I'm still searching for the one that it could be though



labour of love i agree with you on matching okra to the first pictures I was searching for some sort of an okra ornamental if there is such a thing?

[LabourofLove]

I've never heard of an 'ornamental okra' although the dwarfs have been touted as patio/pot plants. I don't find the flowers to be all that spectacular, but whatever it took (evolutionarily speaking) to make okra - I'm impressed. The spiky pods, very large seeds, wooly leaves and stems are all botanically interesting.

[pgreen18]

I'm sorry, you all, I meant the seed pods are chambered like okra. I don't think this is a hibiscus-family plant, because the flowers are not trumpet-like. They are similar to a lady's slipper bloom without the long stamen sticking out, but the plant is not like that of a lady's slipper. I could be wrong. I did post another picture that shows the seed pods after most of the blooms disappeared. If you have time, maybe looking at the pictures of the plant in various stages all on one page will help. It's on the same web page, or maybe I can get it to upload here. Thanks to all of you.

[pgreen18]

Web page: http://www.geocities.com/pgreen18/F...l?1126779607875 or: http://www.geocities.com/pgreen18/F...oIDSeveral.html

[pgreen18]

Sorry that link didn't work after I posted it. Try this: http://www.geocities.com/pgreen18/FlowerToIDSeveral.html?1126779607875
or this:
http://www.geocities.com/pgreen18/FlowerToIDSeveral.html

[trees]

I have to admit that I'm stumped, too. It has some characteristics of Hibiscus and Penstemon, but not totally one or the other. If I were you, I'd take it in to your local agricultural extension office & see if they might be of any help. Take the pics you posted here as well as a cutting from the plant itself. If you can, get samples of both the mature & immature leaf form, seed pod, bloom, anything that you can.

Do post it here when you find out, too. There are a lot of us that do pretty well with the Plant of the Week posts that are stumped by this one...

[pgreen18]

I do appreciate all the trouble you all have gone to to help with this identification. I will surely let you know what it is when I find out - watch it be something one of you has already suggested! :)

[Neal]

I think its some kind of evening primrose. Ok do I get some kind of reward?:D

[pgreen18]

If it were you would at least get a cheer and a big sigh-of-relief, Neal, but I don't think it's evening primrose. I have two kinds and this plant doesn't look like either. The blooms on the primrose don't stem (pun intended) from the stalk above the leaves, and the primrose blooms are petalled. This bloom is kinda trumpet, kinda lady's slipper shaped. Also, no primrose leaf looks as large as this one, nor do they get narrow with age. Since the plant is about gone, I'll have to settle for taking the pictures in to the extension agency, as "trees" suggested. Thanks for looking and offering opinions.

[Bill Schwab]

It's a beer plant. When you finally figure out what it is, time for beer!

[pgreen18]

LOL ! Yes, let's have a party, then.

[pgreen18]

Finally, everyone, someone in gardenweb (Thanks LabourofLove) knew what it is. I threw a package of "sprouting seeds" out into the garden, forgot about them, but it included sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum). Here is a link to yahoo images (and you better say my images were good compared to some of these <grin>): http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Sesamum+indicum&ei=UTF-8&fr=ush1-mail
THANK YOU ALL !

[Barry]

How stressful was that?

[pgreen18]

LOL, Barry. Sounds as if you've been there!

[Barry]

Pictures just never seem to work, do they Green?? I have mis- identified WAY too many plant materials based on pictures........and was ALWAYS disappointed in myself for trying to do so..........

[pgreen18]

Barry, yes, I'm green, for sure. -patty