Ask the Expert: What kind of flower is this?

I saw this flower at the Seattle Pike Place Market but I forgot to ask what kind of flower it is?

The main color is a light pink with a yellow center and yellow on the tips.

Thanks for any help! Adam Lowe

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:I believe what you have is a type of Dahlia. This genus has about 30 different species and a variety of different flower forms: formal decorative, informal decorative, semi-cactus, straight cactus, laciniated, ball, waterlily, anemone, collarette, orchid and single. I am guessing that your Dahlias are informal decorative.

Depending on the form, some species have very open bloom with few petals -  while other species have tight blooms with an abundance of  petals.  Dahlias also come in a variety of colors: red, orange, yellow, pink, bi-color, purple, burgundy and white.

Dahlias bloom in mid-summer and are perennial in zone 9-11.  However, the tubers can be lifted in the winter and replanted in the spring in zones that are too cold.

Your local florist probably uses Dahlias in many of their flower arrangements.

Want flowers but don't have time to run to Pike Place Market? Call your local Seattle Florist. They can deliver flowers any where in the Seattle area.

Ask The Expert: My croton has a long feathery vine growing out of it. There appears to be sap on these vines. he leaves have also gotten something on them that looks like a white hair. What is this? Do I cut the vine? Do I cut and plant the vine? Marsha

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
When I first received this question, I was a little puzzled. I asked Marsha to send a picture.

Although the picture is a little dark, I believe the vine is the flower stock of the croton.

I found the croton bloom picture on flickr. It was taken by CameliaTWU. As you can see the bloom has a long stalk that looks like a vine. The flowers are fuzzy and white.

Personally, I have never seen a croton bloom. I have a feeling that you need just the right plant and conditions for this to happen.

If you find the blooms unattractive, you can follow the stalk down to its base and cut it off.  Or, you can let the plant flower and when the flowers are spent cut the stalk off.  Either way, the plant will be happy.

Oklahoma City florists hope this flower identification question was helpful.

Ask the Expert: can you identify this plant please. As you can see by the photograph, before the flower opens it looks rather spikey like a pink pinecone but opens into a simple type of bell flower. Can it be grown in Zone 3? Kate

Flower Shop Network's Plant Expert Reply:

This flower identification was a hard one for me. So, I contacted Rick Pudwell at the Memphis Botanical Garden. Luckily for me, he was able to identify it. Here is his identification:

It appears to be Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia. I t is a native shrub in the North Eastern U.S. through the Smoky Mountains. It is difficult to grow unless you live in an area with similar conditions.

Mountain Laurel's cupped-shaped flowers bloom from late spring to mid-summer. It has pink to white flowers with crimson to dark pink buds. This dense bushy shrub is sometimes called Calico bush. They like to grow in moist, humus-rich soil. in partial shade or moist sunny areas.

Ask the Expert: Yellow Dandelion-like Flower – can you identify
There is a perennial in our garden (in a house we bought last fall) that recently bloomed, but I cannot identify it!  I can't find it any garden books I have, and none of my flower-loving friends can identify it.  I saw (what appeared to be) the same plant (although it was not as tall) in someone else's yard recently, but their's has a purple flower.  The attached photos show the flower and entire plant, albeit they just started to bloom (early to mid-June).

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

This past weekend, I was at the Missouri Botanical Garden and saw several of these blooming plants. What you have is Centaurea macrocephala commonly known as the Armenian basket flower. It is hardy in zone 3 thru 8. Blooms June thru July and is perennial. This thistle like yellow flower is sometimes called  globe centaurea or yellow hardhat and can be used as a dried flower.  It is low maintenance full-sun plant that requires minimum watering.

Centaurea (Hardheads, Knapweed) are in the Asteraceae family and consist of 450 species of annuals, biennuals, perennials and subsrubs. So you many see many different, but similar looking plants in your area including the purple one in your neighbor's yard.

Ask the Expert: Lovely perennial, but what is it?
Springs up in May, has cosmos like stem and leaves and corn flower type flower.  It blooms first as white then gradually turns to a dark blue flower. Sharon

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

The flowering plant is a Nigella damascena.  It is commonly referred to as Love-in-a-Mist or Devil-in-a-Bush.  Although it blooms in U.S. gardens in the late spring though summer, florists can use this flower in arrangements year-round. Because of its light and airy quality as well as its blue color, florist use it as a rare blue element in garden style arrangements. Beside the blue flowers, Nigella can also come in pink, white and yellow.  Diseases and pest rarly bother this plant and it comes up from seed fairly easy given the right conditions.

Greenville Florists are proud to bring you this flower identification.

Ask the Expert: What is this?
We moved into an already landscaped home a couple of years ago. I have always thought this was a thistle and pulled it, not thinking twice about it.  This year it escaped me and this is what we have? It looks like a thistle but it is not prickly, the stems are "hairy" but soft. After it started blooming it shed it's "pods". The leaves look almost like crepe paper. They are truly beautiful if it is a thistle!  Do you have any ideas? Suzie

Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:

The plant you have is a type of a poppy.  I believe it is an Oriental Poppy ( Papaver orientale "Allegro"), but just from a picture it is hard to tell which poppy it is. The Oriental Poppies are clump-forming perennials that spread and bloom late spring to mid-summer.  It is very similar to the corn poppy or field poppy ( Papaver rhoeas) which happens to be the Memorial Day Flower.

Although similar in looks it is not a California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) which is the state flower of California.

This flower identification question was brought to you by the local Sacramento Florists

Ask the Expert: what are the hawiian birth flowers for each month
WHAT IS THE BIRTH FLOWER FOR EACH MONTH Corina

Plant Expert Reply:

I have not heard of Hawaiian birth month flowers. As for birth months flowers, there is a general list that most people follow.

January – Carnations or  Snowdrops

February – Violets, Primrose or Iris

March – Daffodils or Jonquils

April – Daisy or Sweet Peas

May – Lily of the Valley, Hawthorn or Lilies

June – Roses or Honeysuckle

July – Larkspur, Delphinium or Water lilies

August – Gladiolas or Poppies

September – Asters or Morning Glories

October – Calendulas, Cosmos or Marigolds

November – Chrysanthemum

December – Narcissus, Holly or Poinsettias

Maybe one of our Hawaiian florists will be able to enlighten us about Hawaiian birth month flowers.

Christmas Pride Ruellia macranthia

Ask the Expert: Could you please tell me the name of this flower

This plant was given to us by a friend who does not know the name of it. We think it may belong to the Begonia family, but are not quite sure. It was thought that perhaps its common name was African Rice plant but I don\'t think this is correct Can you help please.

Kind Regards
John

Plant Expert Reply:
I can't see the flower detail exactly, but I believe what you have is a Ruellia macrantha commonly called Christmas Pride or Brazilian Rose. This erect soft stemmed shrub blooms fall and winter and occasionally. It is used as a container plant , although in California it is used as a garden plant. They like bright filtered light and high humidity.

This flower identifications was brought to you by the local florists in Elverta California.

Ask the Expert: Identification of this flowering shrub
A friend gave me this shrub, I did not realize that it blooms until last year. The first picture is the bloom, the second is of two buds, and the third is another bloom. I have not found anyone around that can identify this plant. The leaves are a velvety grayish green color on the underside, it is a woody type shrub. Can you help me? Kelly

Plant Expert Reply:
I believe the plant is a Feijoa sellowiana – Acca sellowiana (Pineapple Guava). It is an evergreen shrub that produces an edible fruit after 3 to 5 years. The kiwi size fruit tastes like a cross between a pineapple and guava with a hint of mint. The sweet edible flowers appear May through June. Temperatures from 20 to 50 degrees stimulate flower production. They need full sun and usually prefer a zone 8 or above if planted outside.

This flower identification question was brought to you by the local florists in Boca Raton

Ask the Expert: what kind of flower is this
I have no idea what kind of flower this is.  The flower had not bloomed in the past few years.  I live in upstate SC and this plant is always green and never dies even in the winter it still had very bright green leaves.  I cannot identify it. Melissa

Plant Expert Reply:

Since I can't tell by the picture the true structure of the plant and it's foliage, I am basing my identification on the bloom only. I believe the plant you have is an Agapanthus (African Blue Lily).  However, I'm not sure which type of Agapanthus it is.

Agapanthus is a genus of about 10 vigorous perennial species, some of which are evergreen.  They are clump forming with large strap-shaped leaves. Agapanthus needs fertile, moist but well-drained soil.  Full-sun is required for good summer blooming.

Your blooming issues could be lack of sunlight, phosphorus deficiency, or the plant could be buried too deep. A change in any of these conditions could stimulate blooming.

This flower identification question wsa brought to you by local South Carolina Florists