I have a friend who just bought an older house in Northern/Central Indiana, and these are coming up all over the garden beds through the weed-protecting fabric. She's not sure if it is a weed or an intentional plant.
It is a Mexican evening primrose. They are invasive around here. Whether it is a weed or not depends on whether you want it or not. If you don't mind it spreading, great, you've got a pretty flower. If it goes where you don't want it, its a weed.
One invasive I've been battling for a couple of years is Bindweed, also known as Wild Morning Glory. Sure, they're kinda pretty, a smaller white flower than real Morning Glory, but not only are they invasive, they actually vine around other plants, choking them out. They actually killed my boyfriend's (fairly young) clematis vine, and one of our hosta plants, before I knew what I was dealing with. I read you've gotta get the root, which can grow YARDS below the ground, and don't let it
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flower&go to seed, 'cause that'll just start it all over again.
It's a primrose. Here in NM, we have them in pink, yellow & white. The white ones, if I'm not mistaken, are Oenothera caespitosa aka Tufted Evening Primrose or Fragrant Evening Primrose. They look beautiful in drifts. I much prefer the white ones over the yellows & pinks.
Almost every place that sells flower seeds sell seeds for EVENING PRIMROSE. But, beware, they are invasive. I planted them once and it took me years to irradicate them and I was diligent. They self seed (even blows in the wind) and also by runners. I agree that they are pretty but not worth it for me.
I do to and yes it is EVENING Primrose. It spreads like wild fires. I always liked it. It will grow on landscaping fabric with a dusting of soil. Easy to pull out if you don't want it somewhere. Shallow roots. Multiply"s .
It is a primrose, I have them in a windowbox on a mini-barn above my cactus. Buttercups are bright yellow flowers (weeds if you are so inclined), I'm also from the south and I know what buttercups look like! They are called so because they are the color of light butter...not white
There are lots of weeds that are not so invasive that can be transplanted to flower gardens. I won't go into the names of them. Many I don't know, and that have beautiful flowers. Most flowers were all, once up on a time, weeds of many kinds. Humans have placed them in flower beds in years gone by. They have become house plants, yard plants, annuals, perennials and so many times taken in to be nurtured and raised so that the seeds have carried on through centuries of passing them around or
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taking them from fields to homes. God made all of these plants. Humans have given most of them names. God named many that are mentioned in the Bible, mostly trees and shrubs are mentioned there. God made them and we have cultured them into our likes or dislikes of what we desire in and around our homes. Orchids and green houseplants were once parts of the Rainforests around the world and on mountain tops where they thrived and grew. I love all things through God and His Son Jesus Christ who lives today. He loves all things and gave them to be enjoyed by His human children. I am sooo blessed by Him and His lovely world. God Bless everyone on this day that we show our love for God and worship Him. I have said what one of sweet nephews calls TMI. (Too Much Information) I am a writer and philosopher of sorts, so bear or bare with me all you lovely people. <3 :)
Debi M, no, I've never used window boxes. Everything I've planted (other than straight into the ground) has been in a large clay pot, outside, or an indoor plant in a pot.
@ Susan S., yes, dandelions are edible...baby greens in salads (read about them before noshing), and I remember collecting dandelion flowers with my grandfather when I was 7, and him making wine from them ('77)......that I sampled later in life...after it had aged a decade or so!
@Jennifer - thanks for the tip - I don't think I'm actually curious enough to want to ever eat dandilion greens but I won't rule it out completely!! LOL I will look them up though - I'm sure there's probably more to the story than just whacking them off, washing and throwing on some salad dressing ;~)
That wine your grandfather made was probably some pretty fine stuff - I remember my former
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father-in-law used to make grape wine and one year it was just supurb - probably a good thing it wasn't a big batch. I could've become a wino!!!
I would mix them with lots of other greens, as I've heard they are a little bitter. Maybe a nice spring mix?!?! Beet greens, dandelion greens... then the organic lettuce mix from the store.... ;) I've never tried them yet, but they ARE on the list!! :)
Jennifer you sound like you might have been a southern girl originally???
You can give us a report if you try it. Yeah, I imagine if you mixed the dandilion greens w/enough other stuff you could probably mask any unpleasant taste!!! Good luck w/that!
Its amazing to me that the things I am trying to now rid my garden of (like evening primrose and monkey grass), my husband has taken an interest in and calls them pretty. Let's hear it for all those garden beds that have now been taken over by the root systems of monkey grass! Evening primrose is a dellicate little flower at first glance, but do not care about anyone but themselves. Eats up all gardening space and anything else they can find.. Monkey grass invades with its root system. Enemies mine!
[Apologies for hijacking this thread]
That wine your grandfather made was probably some pretty fine stuff - I remember my former ...»
You can give us a report if you try it. Yeah, I imagine if you mixed the dandilion greens w/enough other stuff you could probably mask any unpleasant taste!!! Good luck w/that!