It's like eating peanuts--you just can't stop and you keep going like that little pink bunny only he's got NUTHIN' on a seed addict!! I actually went to my neighbors' house this afternoon, knocked on the door & begged...for paper cups/plates to hold the seeds I was harvesting from THEIR plants! I actually forbid them from pruning anything until they check with me first in case I want seeds. They have the most fabulous ornamental grasses that I will have too in a year or so...he he he...

Oh my, I went to my sisters last night. I was walking around her yard taking seeds from her morning glories, and I don't even care for morning glories. I just couldn't stand to see viable seeds in a pod and not take some. Then I know her verbena is sterile (homestead purple) but I still had to just try and grab some seeds from that. Then I was leaving and she has a japanese maple and I told her I would be back for that one. I don't have any place to grow any trees at my place, heck I still rent. Though I want some of those seeds, lol.

Oh and while I was out there last night her moonflower is in total bloom and one of those humming bird moths came up(I think that is the name of it). That was the first one I have ever seen in life, those things are pretty cool looking.

Homestead purple verbena is sterile?? Don't tell the ones in my yard, they were grown from seed . . . and they seem to be spreading . . . maybe they aren't really Homestead?

Becky

Is this the one? (sorry it is out of focus) I already have a box full of seeds. At least what I thought there were seeds...

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Yours remind me more of verbena bonariensis which does set seed. I believe the botanical name for the one I am referring is Verbena canadensis 'Homestead'. I could be wrong about the name. The plant in reference is more of a creeping sprawling fast growing ground cover, it is not upright at all. Max height is approximately 3" and the spread in diameter is like 3' to 4'. I know I have tried to collect seeds from it, and I also know that all the research I have done on the plant recommends propagating by cuttings. I would love to collect seeds from that plant I am still researching but some suggest it may be a hybrid of the verbena canadensis cultivar.

Here is a link with the best picture I can find of the plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Verbena c. 'Homestead Purple'

wow what a nice picture!!

I have been collecting seeds weekly! I have been slective this year mostly collecting what I want to plan again.

I collected agastche jsut for someone else.

I love the solid yellow gallardia I got in a trade I am collecting all of those. They are a nice light yellow. very pretty.

Anyone know if gallardia will come true? or cross polinate? I have one solid burgandy one and some of the typical ones not too far away.

I sure hope the yellow comes true. It was so pretty and does so well in fall when other plants are looking raggady...

I LOVE SEEDS!!

Karen

I know my burgundy comes true, and it reseeds fairly decent but not invasive. I so agree about it looking pretty during times others aren't looking so hot. Mine is still blooming!!

This is my first year to grow other gailardias along with the burgundy so I will have to wait and see what happens. One that I grew was the painters palette from park seed. It reseeds also, and the yellow blooms are gorgeous on it. I have a few seeds that have already sprouted and put on quite a bit of new growth so I guess next year I will find out if that one crossed with the others I have. The other one is aristata I bought for a buck at wally world, and it also has reseeded and put new plants out already.

thanks countrycarolyn!

I sure hope the yellow comes true. I bought one called rustic something (forget the name)

It is a solid dark orange/burgandy. I may grab a few of those too.

This WS season might be a huge planting of them. I love the late season color.

I have some of the traditional but most I moved and they died (too hot) so I won't have many of the regular ones.

If you ever trade yours keep me in mind...

I wish I knew the name of mine. It was a round robin item. they are a nice pale yellow.

Karen

I will keep you in mind for sure. I would love some of the plain yellow also. Next year we should know for sure if they come true. The painters palette is neat cause it has a total combination of colors on one stem, which was not what I was expecting. I seriously thought it was going to be like a mix blend. I sure hope it comes true!!

This is from the painters palette, this is a reseed nothing I planted. I want to move it but when I noticed it was growing here I also found a cicada killer making a nest right underneath it.


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I have been waiting for it to close but it is still open and the mound keeps getting bigger. I am scared to mess with this area to much cause I heard they sting if you get in their territory to much.


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thanks for the pics! I will label well to see if they come true!

Karen

Here is my verbena, which I received in a seed trade. It was labeled Homestead. It is in the background as I was taking pictures of iris. If you click on the picture, it will get bigger. I have a lot of this across the front of my yard, next to the street.

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That to me looks like what I am talking about!! Have you been able to get any seeds from yours?? I have seen where seeds are sold commercially of the the homestead. I know what I collected the other day was nothing but chaff.

I haven't tried to collect seed, but I definitely got this seed in a swap a few years ago. I think it was my first time wintersowing. I had two large clumps of seedlings and just plopped them down. They grew like crazy, I dug them up and moved them, and they have continued to grow and spread.

I think the seed would be gone by now, since it blooms fairly early - you can see the iris is blooming at the same time. Mine doesn't re-bloom throughout the summer, it just puts on a good show in the late spring.

If you want some, remind me next spring, and I will watch for the seed and I would also be willing to trade a few plants. I don't think now is a good time to transplant it.

Becky

Becky now you have me curious. Your practically in the same zone as I am and my sisters is still blooming, she is like 2 miles from me. It blooms from spring to fall. Your foliage looks exactly like the homestead purple that she has. Now I am scratching my head and wondering if there is a different type of homestead verbena other than the one that she has.

I am going on a searching quest, lol.

I may just go over there tonight and take some pictures.

I bought homestead purple plants twice in the past, loved them. They didn't survive the winter, though, and were too expensive to use as annuals. I'm not sure if it was temps or winter wet that killed them.

Bluestone lists both Homestead Purple (hardy to zone 6) and Canadensis (hardy to zone 5), so apparently they are different plants. My guess is homestead purple is a hybrid of canadensis, but only a guess. I was going to try them (Canadensis) in a raised bed next year. They're pretty cheap, though small, but they grow so fast.

Karen

Bluestone Perennials

Here is a link that might be useful: Bluestone

Per Paghat's garden, homestead purple IS a cross of canadensis and and an unknown verbena. See third paragraph.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Paghat's garden

You know I figured that, cause what I collected should of been seed ready. I forgot about the annual verbena and that comes in all kinds of colors. It does look a lot like the canadensis. I wasn't even thinking.

Karen that candensis hybrid homestead gets a spread that is wonderful, always plant less than what you think you will need. Also only buy a few of them cause that thing is supposedly extremely easy to root, though I haven't tried it. Supposedly all you have to do is cut maybe an inch or two underneath a knot/joint and put them in water.

Assuming the one that my sister has is the candanesis, which ever one she has I truly truly believe it is a hybrid verbena of the candanesis.

I never buy hybrids (unless I was totally unaware) I never suggest buying hybrids but this plant is pretty neat, though it loves its moisture and can not stand to go without watering. Well lets say this it will survive but it is one UGLY/LEGGY plant when it doesn't have water.

Yes, I've had the homestead purple twice and it was a great plant. Drought tolerant. Spread was probably 3' or more each time. I might get one next summer, I have a perfect place for it.

If only I could get it to overwinter... I might try starting cuttings if I get it next year. I keep lots of coleus cuttings under lights in winter so I suppose I could add a little verbena.

Karen

We had a very dry summer, and I don't fertilize the verbena, nor do I trim it - I suppose I could run the lawn mower over it, but it covers a pretty large area along the edge of the yard. Perhaps if I treat it better, it would re-bloom. I have no idea whether it is the 'real 'homestead verbena as it is the only one I have ever grown. It dies back to the ground in the winter and comes up from the roots. I am thinking that I have had it for at least 3 years, and one of those was a colder-than-normal winter. I put it along the edge of the lawn in the hope that it could prevent the crabgrass from growing there, LOL. It has done a pretty good job.

Becky

I have come to find out I really do sincerely like collecting and saving seed. I have been packaging seed up for this round robin and for a huge sasbe I am about to offer. I sincerely did not realize how much seed I have actually been saving. I spent 2 hours packaging up seed. You would think that would put a major dent in what I have collected. It hasn't!!

Still I went outside to get some fresh air cause I was doing all of this while standing at my kitchen counter. Of course I look in some of my beds and guess what. I find viola seed, lol. So I start collecting those. Well as I have about as many as I can find just in my hand held very loosely, something weird is on my opposite arm. I brush at it, it didn't go away, so I brushed at it again, it still didn't go away. Finally I looked to see what was on my arm, it was a red wasp!! Of course my natural reaction is to go flinging my arms, and with that said the seed went flying everywhere. (I am extremely lucky that today was a mild day cause I believe if it had been any hotter it would of stung me) You know after that seed went flying everywhere I still couldn't help but stand there or should I say squat there at the edge of my bed trying to find it.

I really believe I need help cause here I have hours of more work to do packaging seed and I am still collecting more.