What part of LBI or specifically what street/area were you on? Do you recall? Perhaps someone from that area will be reading this thread and can help you in your quest for an id. I live about 20 minutes away but in reading your description, I am unable to come up with an answer for you, sorry.

Vicki

Thanks for the response anyway. Even though it was just this past weekend, I've completely forgotten the name of the town, but it was all the way on the north end of the island. The house is on the bay-side block of 9th St to be specific.

If you were that close enough to see the seeds inside why didnt you just knock on the door and ask the owners ? Didnt the plant have any leaves ? You might also want to post this on the name that plant section . Rick

I think it might be Lunaria annua, nicknamed here the money plant since the seed pods look like silver dollars. They reseed everywhere, but are a nice addition to the garden.

Its definetly not money plant as they said the plants were only about 7 inches tall and money plants gets 2 - 3 feet . How about Chinese lantern - Quincula lobata .

Are you thinking of Barnegat Light? Where on 9th Street on the bay side? Closer to the Bay or the Boulevard? One side of 9th is the ball field. If you can be more specific, I can check it out this weekend.

Thanks everyone. I couldn't ask the owners 'cos my father was renting the house - and in several years of renting it over the summer they've never had any contact with the owners personally, just an agent. And it's really not worth all the trouble of working that far backwards on the off chance they know what they are. They're pretty obviously "volunteers", not something that was intentionally planted.

As for the specific guesses, no, it's definitely not money plant - I know that well - nor the Quincula from the pics I saw when I googled that.

Thanks, Carol, yes, that's it, but it's in a back yard, and I'm not really comfortable being more specific about the location in so public a venue since it's not my house. And unfortunately I didn't see it anywhere else in a more public location.

Oh well, it's not the end of the world. Some day I'll find out - it was unusual enough that I'll definitely remember it. I figured there was a slight chance someone might have noticed it themselves (somewhere else) since it seemed so unusual.

Could it be poleminum or phystogeia? Anyway if you get a pic post it on the seed forum. Someone may be able to identify. :)

Dare I venture a guess that it might be nigella or love-in-a-mist? Check it on Hortiplex. They self seed though they tend to after a few years just come up in white. They are available in mixed colors of white pink and blue. The dried flowers or seed heads are often used in dried flower arrangements. Try buying a pkg of seeds. They are easy, easy, easy to grow! Just throw and grow. They will start growing now and overwinter and flower next year. Also the seeds are used in some cheeses and are "onion seeds" on Russian rye bread! Sometimes thought of as a herb.