skip to main content

Help ID this heirloom plant found in my dad's garden

7 years ago

Help-my dad received a slip of this flower from his cousin in Indiana about 25 years ago. We live in Virginia(near Blue Ridge Mountains) and it grows beautifully here. He replants

hem each year by saving the seeds. We have no idea what flower it is. Thanks!!!

Featured Answer

ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado

7 years ago

My first guess was the southwestern native Proboscidea althaeifolia who's long, curved seedpods, which give the plant it's common name of devils claw, were used by native people for basket making. However, based on the leaf shape this one is probably it's cousin native to the east, Proboscidea louisianica, or rams horn.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

wisconsitom
7 years ago
Tumblin, it reminds me of Nasturtium....almost. Perhaps an old variant of that plant?
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I'm pretty sure it's not a Nasturtium, wrong flowers, wrong leaves, wrong everything. But I'm afraid I don't know what it is. Looks like something in the Scrophulariaceae. Maybe the Name That Plant Forum can help you. Some close ups of the flowers and other details would help. Can I see seed pods? Are there tendrils?
Related Discussions
Would my Dads old Cub Cadet make a good garden tractor?
Q
Comments (10)
I'm not sure exactly what you are implying in your reference to ethanol free fuel and spark knock. Whether the fuel is formulated with ethanol or not, it is the octane rating of the fuel that one needs to be cautious of (regarding the need to control spark knock) if you have a choice of buying ethanol laced fuels, or ethanol free. I have doubts about a 1980s engine having a compression ratio high enough to require use of anything above 87 octane rating. The real concerns of ethanol blended fuels is that some rubber parts of the fuel system components might not fare very well in the presence of ethanol, plus the fact that ethanol blended fuels DO tend to collect more water vapor from the atmosphere (through tank vent respiration) and precipitate that out later on. Your vintage of engine might in fact benefit from keeping ethanol away from its rubber fuel system parts as ethanol blended fuels were well below the OEM radar back them days. Most of the issues due to ethanol attacking certain rubber parts has been addressed by OEMs improving ethanol resistance in the latest rubber compounds they use for making their parts. As to the extra water..........about the only way to guard against that becoming a problem is to not store large amounts of fuel for extended periods of time. One way to keep from having extra fuel on hand for the OPE fleet is top off the fuel tank as far as it can be filled at the time of dead-lining the machine for the off season. A completely full tank respires less volume of atmosphere when ambient temperatures fluctuate. After doing that, any fuel you have left over should be poured into your car or truck fuel tank for daily driving.
...See More
Could you help me ID a garden plant?
Q
Comments (2)
aka Hibiscus syriacus. If you google Rose of Sharon there's an outside chance you might turn up UK sites in which case that name will refer to Hypericum calycinum, a type of St John's Wort. So best to double check that it's Hibiscus info you've found.
...See More
Help with dad's plants!! Tons of questions and lots of help!
Q
Comments (4)
I,m just an occasional visitor to this forum but most of the people on here seem to have veggies as a major interest. I think you might get more responses if you posted on the perennials forum, perhaps the rose questions on the rose forum, other shrubs on the trees and shrubs forum. I'll start with bulbs..if they're mushy they're pretty much toast, callas would not be hardy in your area. Iris should be fine, most true lily bulbs should be fine. Glads or dahlias are likely goners as well. I'm not much of a rose person myself and trumpet vines are marginally hardy here. I wish you luck, you may want to contact your county extension service and see if a master gardener might be willing to meet with you and help answer some questions and perhaps help you id some of the plants etc. Also, just an FYI and I mean no disrespect to your dad, I'm sure he was a terrific gardener but the term Master Gardener is one given to people who have completed training through your state's land grant university and are a branch of the university extension program. In MN they volunteer 50 hrs. the first year and 25 each year after to educating the public about horticulture. Anyway, best of luck to you and I'm sure your dad would be thrilled to know you will be caring for his plants.
...See More
My friend hates gardening but loves her Dad's hostas
Q
Comments (14)
For me, I don't see #1 as plantaginea at all. Besides the color of the flower which rules plantaginea out, the hosta is way too yellow. I know the sun can change the coloring of the hosta, but it just seems too drastic a change. Gardencool, I am thinking old time hostas too. I thought for sure there would be undulatas. My friend used to tell me that #1 had huge leaves. I thought it to be S&S without even seeing it. But then when we did visit, I thought it looked so small and got confused about its identity. Isn't it amazing how a hosta can look with a lot of sun exposure? Peren.all, even though I am so surprised to see the size of my friend's S&S, I do see a lot of resemblance to it. I have cropped the photo to see the hosta a bit closer. ConnieMay, I think #2 is looking very good also considering it was mid August when I took the photos. I rather like the different coloring and variegation in the leaves. The third is I can't tell what it is. I also cropped the photo. I would say there is no variegation in it. Just bleached out. Here's one even closer: Gardencool, you think #3 could be lancifolia. I don't know if my friend's hosta has the right shape of leaves for lancifolia. I have lancifolia and I find the leaves are longer and narrower. And I thought it would be a breeze to identify her hostas! It will be really interesting to see what these look like in the spring! I'll ask her if she fertilizes or has ever fertilized!
...See More
macranthos
7 years ago
Nice work Zach. Thats a new one for me. I don't think I've ever paid attention to what Devils claw looked like in flower...
tumblingcove
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks to all that replied!! Yep, its a Proboscidea louisianica!
wisconsitom
7 years ago
Will ya look at the proboscus on that thing!
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
7 years ago
I was thinking that it looked like a devils claw but the leaves were wrong and your location was just plain wrong so I held my breath.
wisconsitom
7 years ago
No such restraint from me! I knew it wasn't nasturtium, but I didn't let that get in the way of making a post. So long as one uses terms such as "resembles", or "looks something like"...etc. you've got your plausible deniability, lol!
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
Blimey - definitely learned something new. Never seen it before in my life and never even heard of the Martiniaceae.
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
7 years ago
People wear the seed pods on their hat bands out west. Some of the western ones get a black and people polish them up real nice.They make outlandish forms.
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
7 years ago
Glad we could help tumblingcove!

To be perfectly honest, I didn't know there was an eastern counterpart to devil's claw either, Mara. When I first saw the picture I said "those flowers ARE devil's claw, I know it!" But your right, the location was wrong. But that doesn't mean they couldn't have found their way to Virginia through some human intervention. But I decided to do a little research and then it came up! Leaves were a match, too so viola!

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Common Boneset Helps Good Bugs Thrive

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Support bees, moths and butterflies with the nectar of this low-maintenance, versatile and tactile prairie-style plant

SMALL HOMES My Houzz: Heirlooms and Family Art Fill a 1920s Bungalow

By Mina Brinkey

Personal touches trump a huge design budget for a Florida couple with a taste for Americana

FUN HOUZZ Gardening Happiness Found ... in Potholes

Imperfections in roads and sidewalks become miniature works of art — and unlikely sources of joy — at the hands of a London gardener

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Color and Heirlooms Combine in a Welcoming Bungalow

By Sarah Greenman

Inherited furniture mixes with bright hues in a 1921 Dallas home that embraces the neighborhood and modern life

REMODELING GUIDES One Guy Found a $175,000 Comic in His Wall. What Has Your Home Hidden?

By Mitchell Parker

Have you found a treasure, large or small, when remodeling your house? We want to see it!

REMODELING GUIDES You Won't Believe What These Homeowners Found in Their Walls

By Mitchell Parker

From the banal to the downright bizarre, these uncovered artifacts may get you wondering what may be hidden in your own home

PETS 6 Ways to Help Your Dog and Landscape Play Nicely Together

By Marianne Lipanovich

Keep your prized plantings intact and your dog happy too, with this wisdom from an expert gardener and dog guardian

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Milkweed

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Quit cringing. This not-weed plant is a sight to behold in the garden, has a delicious vanilla scent and is a magnet for butterflies

MOVING Relocating Help: 8 Tips for a Happier Long-Distance Move

By Laura Gaskill

Trash bags, houseplants and a good cry all have their role when it comes to this major life change

HOUSEKEEPING When You Need Real Housekeeping Help

By Becky Harris

Which is scarier, Lifetime's 'Devious Maids' show or that area behind the toilet? If the toilet wins, you'll need these tips

Sponsored