Ginny,

If you go to Google and enter Flower Clock you'll find several articles about them which name the flowers used for the various hours.

The one most described for noon is Passion flower which is shown as being white and single petalled like chicory.

If you then enter Passion flower you'll see there are many different species.

So methinks I'll let you try to find out which species of Passion flower is the one used for the flower clocks.

Hope that helps.

Carolyn, who remembered about the flower clock term from one of her books on Shaker herbs and flowers

Thanks, Carolyn. Passion flower is usually Passiflora incarnata, which looks nothing like chicory, but with common names being so unreliable, maybe there is something else out there. I will take a look and thanks for the hint. If I do find out, I will post here.

Incidentally, twelve o'clock was mentioned by a woman in 19c Portsmouth NH in her garden diary. But no one can identify what she meant. That's why I'm asking here.

It sounds like wild Salsify - Tragopogon sp. which is sometimes nicknamed Flower Clock. A google search for: salsify clock came up with many links.
Rose-Marie

Thanks, Rose-Marie. I did find this in my hunt before posting. I didn't think it could be what I am looking for because "my" flower is white and opens at noon. But in reading all the websites, I am wondering if my diarist from the 19c meant the seedhead when she said it had a white flower. Something to think about, tho it is a bit of a stretch. She was an experienced gardener and knew the difference between a flower and a seedhead.

I am looking for information on a beautiful trumpet looking blue colored flower that opens from a clump of oval bulb like buds every day at 12 noon time for only a short while. They came from my great grandmother's home and this is the only name my mother knows them by. I cannot find any information about them?

I think we need a botanist. My mystery was never solved and yours is quite a puzzle too.

I suspected I knew your flower right away but did some research to back myself up. Wikipedia has an article about Linnaeus' flower clock. Interesting but impertinent, unless Janet can solve her mystery using it.

Webster's dictionary has noon flower which indicates goatsbeard. Goatsbeard usually refers to aruncus, which I can't imagine anyone wathing it "open" or "close," or tragopogon, which doesn't seem to come in white. However, the plot thickens! One of the common names I discovered doing this search was "John go to bed at noon" which several sites agree is tragopogon pratensis, which has a yellow flower that looks like dandelion. Just more extraneous yet interesting trivia.

I think the flower you're looking for is flower-of-an-hour. I saw them in a friend's dad's veggie patch years ago and saved some seeds but research led me to decide not to try putting them in my yard because one would have to be home mid-day to see them and when not open, it's not an attractive plant (IMO.)

If you look at various sites regarding this plant, most give no specific time, and conflicting times can be found. The exact opening and closing time of a same flower can be dependent upon latitude, elevation, and plant placement. It's also understandable that one would give a plant a more precise personal name, especially one with 2 less syllables.

My great grandmother had 12 o'clock planted out front of her house. I am trying to find them to plant at my house.