Hmmm...3 positives out of 3 people...I guess I should plant it. Btw, very pretty pictures! Tracey, the fact that you're from NJ and yours has died out has me wondering if it might only be an annual as far north as you and me (I'm in PA). Maybe I won't even have a problem with it getting out of hand. It looks like a very pretty plant, and if it has a pleasant fragrance, that's another reason to plant it. Tom, I wasn't aware that it's a host plant for Cabbage Whites. Thanks for that info. I see Cabbage Whites around here a lot and the poor things are probably looking for something to lay their eggs on and I don't have anything for them. They'd probably be happy if I'd plant this plant. Lisa, Yeah, that's the idea that I got from reading on the Internet, that it will come up all over tha place if given the chance. I really liked the looks of the plant and that's why I bought it (that was before I read all the comments about how invasive it is). I'll be sure to deadhead the plants so they don't get out of control. Thanks to all of you for your comments. Cathy

---To decide what species if in question, I would (and do) use an image search. 100 different pics of hummers visiting the same one should guide you in the right direction.--- Perhaps you are not aware of the practice, but many photographs of hummingbirds feeding at flowers actually have a commercial feeder hidden behind them. Those sneaky photographers! ;^) That way they can have the flash units and camera set up where the hummingbird is pre-conditioned to feed. I always chuckle when I see flowers that naturally grow upright, hanging upside-down in the photographs. This wasn't meant to take your thread off-track, but to highlight that the popular photography flowers may not be hummer favorites.

Anyone who does not believe that you learn something new every day obviously doesn't belong to garden web. I checked the images on the link soloniferous provided, and read several other pages about Hesperis matronalis (including some, from southern and midwestern state agencies, that recommended this plant as a wild flower!) and found that what I've got is almost certainly NOT dame's rocket. Mine has more than 4 petals per flower (5 or 6) and the structure of each flowerette is different from Hesperis, not flat and smooth but with prominent ... stigmas (or are those anthers???). I'm relieved, tentatively, and also stumped. The stems of my plants are very sticky, the leaves are 3-5" long, sword shaped, glossy, and form a basal rosette. I think I started these from seed from T&M, many years ago, but I can't find a seed packet with any possible candidates. So, all those years of procrastination may have paid off. Normana, I suspect that anyone who is willing to remove this ornamental thug from his garden to prevent its escape into the wild would be unlikely to give it to someone else to plant, even if that person is from another state.

OK, I finally took pics of my "UT Wallflower"! It was very beautiful in April when it was shorter - as time has gone on the stems have gotten longer and longer, leading to it getting "gangly", but that plant is STILL blooming. Amazing. I imagine if I'd cut the stems back it would have stayed nicer longer, but I really want seed this year so I'm leaving it alone. If you're interested in seed from this plant let me know. It appears to have LOVED getting planted in great soil. Its siblings were raised in unimproved clay, and they were sad, scrawny things in comparison, long since finished blooming. I did my best to adjust the color on these pics to be more accurate, but it still is TOO orange. It's much paler, true UT orange. Erysimum in April: Eryisimum in May: