I guess my most unusual plant would be Dracunculus vulgaris. They have large purple flowers that smell like a dead animal. I had 9 blooming this summer and it was very smelly in my backyard for several days.

"Unusual" and "weird" are relative terms! I have tons of stuff that "your average Gardenwebber" has probably never heard of -- but that doesn't mean that stuff is actually all that weird. Heck, I've got a ton of stuff that *I* never heard of -- til I found it in a store or garden, often even some place like Lowes or HD. ;-)

One of my most recent "weird to me" HD purchases -- variegated Hymenocallis littoralis (beach spiderlily). It's quite attractive, even out of bloom. I hope I get it through the winter!

I have an amsonia that blooms a pale pink--almost white. I have never found a reference anywhere to any color of bloom other than blue. Below is a link to a picture I took of some trillium and you can see the amsonia on the far left of the picture. Does anyone else have amsonia that blooms anything except blue?

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1292725}}

Vitex are usually blue, but mine that started out as a tiny seedling received in a trade about four years ago turned out to be pink when it flowered. I can't say that's particularly unusual, but it's the closest anything in my garden comes.

Farmerbell, what a pretty picture. I've never heard of Amsonia being any other color but blue. I wonder what Tony Avent would say if he knew you had a pale pink one? He might even come take cuttings and name a new cultivar after you.

I have several succulents that are weird and unusual, or at least to me they are. Including the Devil's Backbone.

Cheryl, I noticed their are a lot of different types of plants refered to as Devil's Backbone. There are a number of different cultivars and varieties of Pedilanthus tithymaloides and even Kalanchoe daigremontiana (common, so I doubt this is the one). Which do you have?

Sheese I didn't realize it'd been so long since I've been on here. Guess I've had my head buried in that website you sent me Brandon lol. Mine is actually a Pedilanthus tithymaloides variegatus, so it is the variegated version. Want a cutting ?

Cheryl

I would love a cutting. Maybe I could dig up some more Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'. I finally took the clump I had been saving you for about a year to the swap but have more.

Don't dig it now, I'm not planting anything but bulbs until Spring. I'll have to send you a list of all the succulents I have, I'd be happy to share cuttings.

I've got a spicebush(Lindera benzoin) that produces yellow-orange berries instead of the normal red - (hmm, might be of interest to some of you TN folks, as they're almost like that UT Yellow - you know, the color of the Voles uniforms); a black walnut with serpentine/contorted growth habit reminiscent of corkscrew willow, and a hickory that appears to be a hybrid of shagbark and mockernut.

Here is a Ceropegia woodii, or commonly known houseplant Rosary Vine or String of Hearts. I had never seen one bloom, until I got one and put it outside this summer. Looks like an alien.

Rebecca

Lucky, that Spicebush sounds cool. I believe there's one in the trade with yellow berries, but UT orange would sure be popular around here, especially with Jeff, aka Big Orange Vol. :) Maybe there's some way we could connect in late spring for cuttings -- I'd like to try it.

Interesting about your hybrid hickory. I was told that hickories don't hybridize, but I've got a huge one that I am pretty sure is a glabra/tomentosa hybrid (pignut/mockernut). It blooms very messily all over my deck in spring but never sets a nut. Meanwhile there are heavily bearing pignuts and mockernuts all over the place. In fact, between the white oaks and the hickories, the footing in some parts of my yard is downright treacherous, rather like walking on marbles.

Marty

I believe that I have found a first generation hybrid of a walnut and hickory. The nut was in a walnut husk but had the appearance and color of a hickory nut. Is this possible?
Tom

In general, intergeneric hybrids are quite rare. Walnuts belong to the genus Juglans, while true hickories belong to Carya. Usually the chromosomes of different genera don't match up well enough to produce offspring.

Intergeneric hybrids are known, but often it's a forced marriage aided by the hand of man. The garden perennial Heucherella is an example -- it's a cross of Heuchera and Tiarella. Another is Fatshedera, a tender plant that's a cross of Fatsia and Hedera. A factoid about intergeneric hybridization: You can always tell an intergeneric hybrid in literature by the way the genus name is written. It'll have a capital X before the name, not a lowercase x after (that denotes an interspecific hybrid, which are very common). A Heucherella selection is written X Heucherella 'Viking Ship'; a hybrid between two heuchera species would be written Heuchera x 'Pewter Veil'.

The odds are highly unlikely you have such a hybrid. Much more likely is you have an aberrant walnut, if the husk doesn't split like hickory husks do. But strange things are possible in nature, and maybe it's not a complete impossibility. You'd need to research whether such hybrids have ever been recorded, and maybe get expert advice on chromosome counts, etc.

Marty

Marty,
I consulted an expert. He suggested that I have an immature nut. He did however mention that some walnuts have been found that shell like hickory but these were immature and were very thin shelled. I am stratifying the walnut to see if it will germinate next spring. I did a search on Chromosomes associated with Walnuts and Hickorys. They both generally have 32. I am not a Botanist so this subject is a little over my head. Walnuts and Hickorys are separated by approximately 20 to 30 million years of evolution. The worst that can happen is that it will not germinate. Oaks are much older. I used to collect acorns when I lived in California. In more than one occasion I have found that some atrophied acorns would germinate into what appeared to be hybrids. In one case an undeveloped acorn from a Coast Live Oak resulted in a very rare Chase oak which is the hybrid of a California Black and Coast live oak. These oaks were in close proximity to each other.
Thanks for the input.

Marty,
The hickories do hybridize, and not uncommonly - I've got several 'hican' selections grafted & growing here, hybrids of pecan, usually with shagbark or shellbark hickories. I've got at least a couple of named hickory selections that are known to be hybrids of shellbark & shagbark, and interspecific hybrids of most of the other hickory species have been described.
No one, to my knowledge, has hybridized walnuts and hickories, though Luther Burbank *thought* it could be done.

Lots of good info on the hickories, including a list of described hybrids, at the site below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Hickories

Yeah, I've been doing some research on Carya hybrids and it seems it's not that unusual, particularly shagbark/mockernut crosses. As I said in another thread, I've got a great big mockernut/pignut hybrid behind my house. It seems to be sterile, unlike your shagbark/shellbark, which should make some truly righteous nuts. I'd think there'd be a market for nuts from that cross.

Pecans (Apocarya hickories) have been intentionally crossed with true (Carya) hickories for years, of course.

Marty

Wow ! Diploid , triploid, tetraploid too whacha gonna do when they come for you . Is anyone growing Cornus controversa 'Variegata' ? What a wonderful tree all year long . That Amsonia tabernaemontana looks more white than pink . Next year paint the flowers orange and then send a pic to Tony . Marty did we meet off of Lick Creek earlier this year ? Your husband fights chickens , right ?

smalljaw: I hope this was just a joke! Chicken fighting is illegal. If you know someone involved, you should report them to the authorities immediately! Usually, this type of illegal activity is also associated with other illegal behavior such as illegal drug use, etc. On top of this, it's morally reprehensible. If it was a joke, I wouldn't even joke about it if I were you. It could lead to trouble.

Brandon do not take everthing so literally . If one has chickens and keeps them for pets or for food one could say that dealing with them sometimes can be a struggle much like children or plants . I have goats and dealing with them can be somewhat of a fight to get in there and spread feed . That does not mean I am huffing gas and making moonshine . That simply means I am fighting goats , just a figure of speech . I believe you are referring to cock fighting . Which in my mind is as bad as the chicken processing plant down the road . That doesn't mean everone should stop eating meat . You're not me and I will be more precise in my choice of phrasing questions . Marty , Do you and your husband raise chickens for non sport oriented purposes ? I am the one with the greys and silkys . I hope that every body else understands that Brandon and I are against cock fighing . Sorry for any confusion . It is not about morals but about the plants . Will someone please think about the plants ? Looking for input on Cornus controversa 'Variegata' and any Acer davidii ( straight species or hybrids ). Curious to hear success and failure stories about these underused gems .

Sorry smalljaw. I am not used to your phrases. I've heard many many people talking about "fighting chickens", but you are the first one ever that meant "raising chickens". Around here "fighting chickens" might not be that wise of a phrase to use in public. People that I've run into just wouldn't understand what you meant.

Brandon, smalljaw is a pal of mine in real life, and he's just giving me one of his unique shoutouts. :) (I almost answered in kind, saying, Yeah, that was me off Lick Creek, at the chicken rodeo held right behind the meth lab. But that would probably make even more trouble, especially for folks who aren't familiar with his style). He's a serious plantsman and I hope he sticks around the forum.

I don't raise chickens, although I really love them. It's hard enough to get someone to feed the six dogs and four cats when we want to get away for a few days. Adding to the livestock count would probably mean I never got away, ever. And I need a change of scenery on occasion, for mental health purposes.

Marty

I am weird and unuasual . Has anyone seen Calycanthus 'Venus' in flower ? Super big 5" white flowers of good smelling juicyness . Calycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine' is super cool , but don't think it will be 6-8' tall like some people say . I got mine , 4 bigguns , and the one that has not been cut is about 10' tall . Colocasia gigantea ( Thailand Strain ) with its enormous leaves up to 6' wide or more . My main one was bigger than Tony's ( P.D. ). There is one in Madison , TN that is supposed to be the bomb . Not actually a bomb , but big and explosive , well not explosive in the sense of boom , but mammoth . If you want bold and excitement , try the three above . Can you dig it ?

You know I must be much cooler than I thought, because over the last year I have planted a Cornus Controversa Varigata and a Calycanthus "Venus". Both have added some beautiful color and structure to my garden. I am not sure how big the Calycanthus will get, but I am giving it lots of room.

I am using the Cornus Controversa Varigata like a Japanese Maple in my landscape to accent both the flowing shape and the cool varigated leaf markings and as a bonus right now the branches are just as bright red as my Red Twig dogwood branches.

I bought them both locally and did not have to drive to Raleigh or depend on mail order to get something cool.

I too have some experience in chicken fighting, but only in self-defense.

Shady you sound like you have good taste . Dr. Tom ( the guru )from Fletcher bred 'Venus' . The press I have seen says 6-8' tall and wide . A little over a year ago I saw a 3 gal auction off for $80 and $65 two months ago in Louisville . I saw it locally this past fall for $35 for a fatty 3 gal. Where did you get your goodies ? Your trees not your yard birds . Why am I inside ? It is 45* outside . Time to plant .

I planted a Calycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine' last fall. I'm really looking forward to seeing it flower. I have it temporarily encircled by a bit of wire fencing to keep the dogs away until it matures a bit and its tallest stem (propped up by the fence) is about 6 feet.

Good for you Wild Rose , that flower is choice . The smell is almost nil , but that does not matter . Heat wave today . I think a row of different Calycanthus would look cool . 'Venus' , 'Venus' , 'Venus' go 'Venus'

Ok, smalljaw, you know a good plant source is like a good fishing spot. You don't usually broadcast it because you want the best for yourself. But in this case I will share, Gum Tree Farm in Hermitage, Tn. I just found out that they have a website for more information. I will try to post a link, but I am not very good at that kind of thing.

I have several plants that fall into the strange and unusual from them. A variety of Pine that has varigated needles , white at the base of the needle and green at the tip. Pinus densiflora "occulus draconis" ( I had to look it up), known as Dragon's Eye Pine, several varieties of Calycanthus(Michael Lindsay, Athens, Venus), Callicarpa and I got Sunspot Heuchera at the same time it appeared on the cover of Wayside's catalog a while back.

I look forward to adding several more weird and unusual plants to my garden this year, hostas, ferns or the new purple leaved Harry Lauder's Walking stick I just saw in a new spring catalog.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gum Tree Farm

Cool and yes you are right , thanks . I have seen that Corylus , it is wicked .