Yes. I see what you mean Carol. But you know how it is when you just get a feeling about a plant? It doesn't look substantial enough to me to be P orientale and it is extremetly red. Regarding the idea about it likely being an annual as it was a volunteer, what I meant was that since annuals are designed to shoot up and flower in a short space of time P rhoes was a more likely candidate if the OP had not noticed it in the past. Also in British gardens I have not known P orientale to self seed. But that may be different in the States. I agree that the foliage in your linked picture is skimpier but I still think it's not orientale. It just doesn't strike me as being coarse enough looking. In rich ground P rhoes can be more substantial than in the wild. Lets hope we get to see a seed pod.

I'm hoping to retry growing some butternut(autumn glow) and triple treat pumpkin. I tried getting a late crop of autumn glow butternut this year by seeding 4 plants mid august but only one plant bore fruit. They are about 3 inches long in a container and wont probably make it by the time the first freeze come along. I'd also like to plant some netted pumpkin again this year. Melonette Jaspee de Vendee and some winter luxury pie pumpkin. Anyone know if those two pumpkins are related? But they are C. pepo and thus susceptible to vine borers. I won't be planting any C. maximas again because they take too much space and are prone to insect attacks. The Seminole pumpkin squash sound very interesting but might not have enough time to mature in the northeast US. Has any one tried the delicata types "Honey boat and Sugar loaf" varieties and can give me comparisons on their tastes as compared to each other and the common butternut(sweetness, texture, firmness)? All my honey boat squash plants wilted under mildew pressure this year. The delicatas I've tried from the supermarket were bland and probably grown with too much water. So, so far C. moschatas are my surest bet. Around here the supermarkets sell kabocha squash for 80 cents a pound and they are super sweet. Makes me wonder if I shouldn't just plant flowers instead of squash. One more question: The Autumn glow butternut I planted that grew large enough to bear fruit bore male flowers first. However, the female flowers that came about a week after opened up before any of the male flowers. Could this be due to the shorter days of Autumn? The plants are incredibly compact, no more than 40 inches long with very short tendrils. And the male flowers are very different from regular squash flowers. The flowers are very fleshy and heavy. Sorry for going off topic, but thanks for any answers.

Dorothy, A getogether party or not that I don't know; but I know there is a Chinese proverb describing the bloom of this flower call "ceresus bloom once", which has similar meaning to "Once a blue moon", describing the rareness of some surprising event. I'm from Taiwan. When I was a kid, I tasted the soup made of "night blooming ceresus" with some pork, made by my grandma. It is said to be good for the lung, such as coughing or asthma symptoms. Don't qote me on that. The soup has some gluey texture, very similar to okra. I also know some people cook it with some rock sugar. I would love to reclaim my childhood memory if anyone is willing to share the plant with me. I live in Arlington, TX.

Ha..., ha..., ha. those hollies listed above are NICE! Years ago, I planted a tiny Illex cornuta (Chinese Holly). It's heat loving and cold-tolerant but probably THE MOST prickly plant I have ever had (aside from a saguaro cactus). The leaves are very shiny and attractive but so sharp they would pierce my gardening gloves. Nellie Stevens (which I do grow) is, I believe, a tamer version in that it a hybrid of the Chinese holly and English holly; the result is a pussy cat in comparison to the straight Chinese species. OMG, be warned!