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hunnerbun_gw

A few unknowns.....

20 years ago

I have a few things growing that I started from seed last year. It was my first year wintersowing and it was a pretty good success, but one of the packets of seeds I sowed was just marked Zone 2 Perennial mix. Needless to say there are a couple of things that I can't ID. Hopefully someone here can help me!

This has 3 rounded leaves all coming from the same joint on the stem, the leaves kind of look like pea leaves(sorry its blurry, hope you can get an idea of what it looks like. This is about as big as it got all summer last year. Its only about 4" tall.

Both of these were in the same packet. The one at the top of the pic has leaves that resemble the Astilbe I planted this year with the exception that they grow more in a clump as opposed to the way the astilbe grows. The one at the bottom is very compact, this clump is only about 3" across, the foliage is very stiff. The size of both of these is pretty accurate.

Now this I more or less need to know if it is a flower or a weed. I had a couple of other ones like this on the other side of the bed, they bloomed with very insignificant yellow flowers. The stalk is quite large around but almost hollow when you bend/break it. Most of the scattered seedlings around everything is self seeded poppies!

Comments (13)

  • 20 years ago

    I meant to add this pic as well. I know the tall spiky ones are some type of allium or chive, they were in the same mix as well as the other plant here. I am pretty sure this is also a delph, but the leaves look a bit different then the other ones. These have a more open palmate look to them whereas the others are more tight together.

    Here's the other ones for comparison...

    I dunno....the first one the leaf sections look narrower....could it just be a different variety or color, so they look a bit different?

  • 20 years ago

    Hunner, the first one looks clover-ish to me. Which is in the pea family so there you go. Don't know exactly what it is at that stage of development.

    The second - top one I am 97% sure it's Astilbe. Different astilbes have slightly different leaves, and the ones I started indoors this spring (which are doing fabulously BTW!) went through several different leaf configurations while they grew. The bottom one, dunno. Sorry.

    The last one, perhaps it is Dog Mustard, Erucastrum gallicum? Hope it's something nicer than that but the leaves looks mustardy.

  • 20 years ago

    That one's a delph for sure.

  • 20 years ago

    Ok, here are my guesses.

    #1 looks like it is Baptisia (False Indigo)

    #2 The plant in the top left corner, if it isn't astilbe then it could be Aruncus (goat's beard). I don't recognize the bottom plant though.

    #3 I also have one of these growing in a w/s container, so I'd like someone to id for you too!

    #4 Yes, it's a delph. Different varieties can have somewhat different looking foliage.

    Hope this helps.

  • 20 years ago

    The first photo could be an Amorpha (Lead Plant). And the second photo, plant on the left could also be an Aruncus (Goatsbeard). It does look like Astilbe, too, but I don't know if GN would put Astilbe seed in a zone 2 mix - I thought they were normally listed more as a zone 4. And I think that's a Delph, too. Some have more serrated leaves.

  • 20 years ago

    We posted at the same time, Laurie, and Baptisia was what I was thinking of...duh, the old brain fails me again. glad I got the Aruncus right. Off I go to find some memory pills.

  • 20 years ago

    When I said the last one was Dog Mustard I meant #3 because #4 wasn't there yet. Pretty sure that's what it is. Click photos for closeups.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Dog Mustard

  • 20 years ago

    Yup, it does look like dog mustard in my w/s. At least my weeds are getting more exotic, rather than plain ol' dandelions and thistle!lol

  • 20 years ago

    Well I think that might be in the same family as dog mustard, but a different variety. The leaves on mine continue all the way up the stem but in those pics the leaves seem to be more of a basal rosette. The flowers look different too. The ones on the other plant looked more like very small daisy like flowers, they werent held on stalks away from the plant, just at the tip of a branch of leaves.
    Anyway, guess I'll rip it out!

  • 20 years ago

    Just wondering if the second pic, bottom right could be pulsatilla. It looks similar to the ones I started this year.
    I also thought the other one could be aruncus.

  • 20 years ago

    The pulsatilla foiliage looks more soft and feathery, this is stiffer, almost plastic like.
    I wish there was a way to google using an image...to find like plants. Its hard to find a plant that you don't know the name for!

  • 20 years ago

    Miracle of miracles...I think I may have IDed it.
    Partridge Foot....this foliage looks very much like mine.

    Here is a link that might be useful: PartridgeFoot

  • 20 years ago

    Your 2nd photo, plants on the bottom right, looks to me like Papaver alpinum.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Alpine Poppy

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