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Dianthus Shrimp or other perennial or wildflower or weed?

16 years ago

I have to admit that I am a very mixed up person. I planted little seedlings of different kinds of perennials last fall to the ground. Prior to that, I sowed wildflower seeds on the hillside behind the bed. Some of the wildflower seeds ran down from the hill to the bed because of rainfall. I always have problem remember plant names and identify them, so i just plant and ignore everything else. Although I used popsicle stick to mark where each plant was, I did not write down the plant name for everyone. I just realize not long ago that the beautifully grown plant supposed to be dianthus shrimp on the ground is NOT the dianthus shrimp I planted.

Dianthus shrimp should look like my other dianthus shrimp plant. Please see picture below:

However, the full picture of the stranger is:

I know that it's hard to see what's going one in the picture, since another kind of dianthus with red flowers is right next to it. Please see the detail picture of the bottom of the plant:

The plant is blooming at the top. They are small small white flowers, as 1/3 the size of the red dianthus flowers next to it.

So..... anybody know what plant this is? Most of my perennials are still small, and i cannot identify them yet. Is it possible to be one of my wildflowers? Or is it a weed. The flowers of it are so small; it looks like a good candidate of weeds. However, before I know what it is, I don't want to pull it out. It is growing so nicely. Thanks

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Comments (3)

noinwi
16 years ago
It looks like Cilantro/Coriander to me. Crush a leaf or two and tell us what it smells like. If it is said herb, you can let it set seed and save the seeds to plant(for Cilantro)or use them for cooking(Coriander).
Donna
16 years ago
It's not cilantro. The blooms of cilantro look like a finer queen anne's lace, plus it's too early for cilantro to be bolting. (My money's on it being a weed, but I don't know for SURE.)
This is why I dislike planting seed mixes. You never can tell when they start coming up what is what is what.
Also, this is why I much prefer starting seeds in pots. That way you CAN tell what is what, and they have a chance to get some size on them before you put them in the ground. Sure, it's another step, but in the end, it's worth the confidence building to me.
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chueh
Original Author
16 years ago
Actually I started seeds in pots, and then I transplanted seedlings to the ground. However, somehow the original Dianthus Shrimp was choked by this plant instead. I have never had ANY luck for growing cilantro (4 or 5 times). Even the mature cilantro I bought died. Thus, when Noinwi suspects it to be cilantro. I was surprised but happy, and I actually dared enough to eat one leave...It does taste like cilantro though. Italian parsley does not even taste like close family to cilantro.

Although I do sometimes reuse the soil for pots, I don't reuse it for the ground plant, and I use the peat pellet seed starter. If the plant is indeed cilantro, I really have no idea how the seed got into the spot on the ground.

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