Alligator Flag ???

Sheila Suarez
by Sheila Suarez
My sister has some plants that she thinks came out of some dirt/mulch that she bought from a local place that sells truckloads of dirt and she or I have no idea what it is but all I can think of would be "Alligator Flag''. I will give several pictures so you can see it up close as well as the root system! She has no idea if it flowers or not since she just got the dirt recently and it's coming up in several of her potted plants. Any ideas???
  8 answers
  • Pete Sakes Pete Sakes on Aug 16, 2013
    It looks like some form of a Lilly. Almost like a cross between a Lilly of the Valley and a Spathiphyllum (funeral Lilly).
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Aug 16, 2013
    Alligator flag (Thalia geniculata) has a thick rhizome. And it's an aquatic plant, so it seems unlikely it would end up in regular garden dirt. But I have no idea what it is, sadly.My best suggestion would be for your sister to take it to the local extension office.
  • Sheila Suarez Sheila Suarez on Aug 16, 2013
    I will tell her that! She did tell me the pots she had it in were really moist but I have to agree......I'd be shocked if it were Alligator Flag in regular dirt........the only thing I wondered is if whoever sold her the truckload of dirt got it out of a bog area....but you said they have rhizomes, so that knocks that out anyway then !!!! She gave me a plant of it so I will try to keep it going and see what happens!! Thanks Douglas!
  • Sheila Suarez Sheila Suarez on Aug 16, 2013
    Yes! A lily crossed my mind too......it sure possibly could be! I think it's too big for a Lily of the Valley because it's about a foot and a half tall or more.....unless there are different types of Lily of the Valley. The only ones I know are the ones up north that are only about 6" tall ......but you may have something there on it being some type of lily ! I will have to look up Funeral Lily......thanks Celeste !
  • Anne D Anne D on Aug 16, 2013
    is it Lily of the Valley?
  • Sheila Suarez Sheila Suarez on Aug 18, 2013
    nope! Way too big for Lily of the Valley.........but it does remind you of a bigger version of the plant! This plant is about a foot and a half tall !
  • Teri Teri on Aug 23, 2013
    Im saying in the lilly family too.
  • Sheila Suarez Sheila Suarez on Aug 25, 2013
    oh, I never thought of a Calla lily,....good thinking Imdb !!! ....and it sure looks like it may be in the lily family....just don't know which one yet! Thanks to all of you !!