You can probably tell in another day or so if it is not an orchid. If it has those two opposite seed leaves, then it is definitely not an orchid since the plant is a dicot (dicotyledon). Now, if it has a straight up shoot, a monocot (monocotyledon), then orchids are still in the running, but it is be more likely a member of the lily family. I am itching with curiosity. I am sure it must have been very pretty for your grandmother to take the time to collect the seeds.

I am 90% sure it is Cynanchum angustifolium, or Gulf Coast Swallow-wort. It is a close relative of milkweed, and is a larval food plant of the Monarch and its relative the Queen Butterfly. The USDA PLANTS Database lists it as occurring in Mobile County - it may very well occur in other counties, especially Baldwin County. If you live in central or north Alabama, my ID may very well be wrong! The yellow flowers, though, are a good indicator that it's this species. As for it being safe - the sap would be evil tasting and woud make anyone immediately spit it out. I do not know of any danger otherwise. I'd leave it in place in hopes it would attract butterflies!

The last one looks like it is a sweet rocket or hesperis matronis. It's a reasonably tall lavender coloured flower that blooms over a long period. They self seed, but are very easy to pull out and as they tend to bloom a long time in my garden I always welcome some in my garden.

Hi EasternCo, DonÂt freak out too much about exactly what zone you are. Even if you were right in the middle of a definite zone, local terrain and other conditions can make noticeable differences in what you can grow. Structures, fences and vegetation can make differences, as can lay of the landÂlike someone in a slight valley might have colder temps than nearby neighbors. And the other thing is that if you start to look up individual plants, youÂll often find that different sites will list them as different zones! GardeningÂespecially "zones"Âis a very imperfect "science!" And other conditions like light, soil, and moisture have at least as much to do with success as do your low temperaturesÂwhich are only averages anyway. The best way to figure out what will work for you is to try things little by little. In a couple years youÂll have a pretty good idea of whatÂs working for you and whatÂs not. If you find something that needs warmer temps, plant it in a more sheltered place like next to a fence or building. You might be surprised by some of the things that do just fineÂthat werenÂt supposed to, and by some of the things that ARE supposed to work where you areÂthat donÂt! The winds that have just kept blowing and blowing for the last couple weeks have been pretty unusual, so while you will probably wind up with more wind out there on the plains than we get here in the Metro area, it shouldnÂt always be as bad as itÂs been lately. Be prepared to tie things down when you need toÂand never give up! And with your grape, I definitely wouldnÂt give up on that yet! I planted one late last summer, and I was SURE it had died over winter! ItÂs just started to leaf out in the last week! I was doing a happy dance! So if your trees and stuff are behind ours, the grape probably is too. And mine looked DEAD! The stems really looked dried up! I think a couple of the (4) stems might have died offÂtime will tell, but I noticed today that itÂs also starting to develop new stems down at the base. So hang in there and hopefully itÂll come back! When youÂre transplanting small plants, try to wait to do it on days when itÂs not so windy, and remember that itÂs not unusual for things to wilt a little bit when theyÂre first planted. Do it late in the day or on a cloudy day/afternoon, water them in wellÂand keep your fingers crossed. Things might look worse for a while after you plant them before they start to look better again. Hang in there! Once you get a better feel for your new conditions, itÂll start to be easier again. Welcome to RMG, Skybird