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What Is This Red Lily Found In Tulsa OK?

Ask the Expert: What is the name of this flower (attached)
It was in a flower bed in Tulsa, OK   –  Barb
Red Spider Lily

Please Idenitify This Perennial Found In Connecticut

Hibiscus moscheuto - Swamp Rose-mallow

Ask the Expert: Can you ID this plant?
My niece and I were taking a walk and saw several of these plants, along with black-eyed Susan’s planted around a mailbox. This was in Connecticut, August 1st, if that helps. The yard had many perennials that I was familiar with, but I have no idea what this one is–not even sure if it’s a perennial. Thanks for your help! Mary Ellen

Flower Shop Network’s Plant Expert Reply:

I believe the plant is a Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp Rose-mallow). It usually blooms July thru September with pink or white blooms (occasionally with red centers). It can grow 4 to 7′ in height and the blooms can be 4 to 7″ across.



Black Bug Wreak Havoc On Penstemon

Ask the Expert: what is this small black bug in my flower garden?
This is a tiny black bug with a hard shell. It has antenna and six legs. It\’s eating the leaves of my gooseneck penstamon and the petals of my coneflowers. Last year I saw them inside the head of the coneflowers. They\’re very tiny and do a lot of damage. I thought they might be flea beetles, but they do not hop. However, they can walk very fast.
Thanks. Lynn

Flower Shop Network‘s Plant Expert Reply:
I am working on identifying the insect. It does sounds like a type of beetle. Can you send me a picture of the insect?

To keep this insect from damaging your perennials, you can use a systemic insecticide similar to the one used for roses or azaleas. You can get one that is mixed with fertilizer or you can get it in a liquid that you need to mix with water.

If you don’t want to use a systemic insecticide, you can spray the plants with an insecticide called eight.

What is this Yellow Thistle Like Bloom?

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).



Thank you for your help!! It\’s been a mystery… Jen

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.

What Makes Agapanthus Bloom?

Ask the Expert: how do you get an agapanthus to bloom?
it’s green and growing new frons(sp)curl…so pretty but i read that it only blooms when it’s pot-bound. i repotted it in the fall. Cindy

Plant Expert Reply:

Giving Agapanthus what it needs to bloom is essential. First it needs light. Full sun is best, although it can tolerate some shade. Proper watering is the next important element. Agapanthus needs good moisture content in during the growing season especially in the summer. If the plant is kept to dry during the summer blooming wqill be inhibited. However to avoid rotting during the winter, you will need to keep it slightly drier.  Fertilizer is another key. Agapanthus will need to be fertilized monthly will a well-balanced fertilizer from early spring until flowering.

What Is This Blue Flower Found In Upstate South Carolina?

agapanthusAsk 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

Shade Loving Plant Between Trees Is Hosta

Hosta

Hosta

Ask the Expert: What plant is this?
Just moved in and can’t figure out what this is. They are planted in rows in between 2 big trees. Nikki

Plant Expert Reply:
What you have is a hosta. I’m not sure which kind. Hostas are shade loving plants that herbaceous perennial plants that grow from rhizomes. They are lily-like plants that will put up a blooms.

What Is This Early Spring Weed With Purple Flower

lamium-amplexicaule-henbitAsk the Expert: Can you identify this plant? (weed) Picture enclosed, I hope, Thanks. Rufus

Plant Expert Reply:

The plant is called Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule). Members of the Lamium genus can run the gamut from annuls to perennials and from wanted to unwanted plants. In this case Henbit is usually considered a weed. It usually pops up in early spring in lawns, flower & shrub beds. In the lawn, you can spray 2 4 D to get rid of it. It is a little more tricky in the shrub beds because the 2 4 D will damage the shrubs and the flowers if the chemical gets on them. I recommend pulling the Henbit that is in the shrub, but would spray the Henbit that is in the lawn.

Flower Shop Network is a proud sponsor of this weed identification question.

Flower of the Month: Daffodil / Narcissus

800px-yellow_daffodil_narcissus_closeup_3008px

Daffodil, narcissus, jonquil, Lent lily, Easter bells, whatever you call it, this little yellow wonder is one of the most popular springtime flowers of all time! Maybe it’s because when the daffodils are in bloom we all  know it’s the beginning of spring and warm weather. (And I know we are all ready for that!)

The original name for the daffodil was ‘affodyll.’ The ‘D’ is somewhat of a mystery, but it’s believed to be a merger with the Dutch article ‘de’ as in ‘de affodyll.’ They also have the cute little nickname ‘daffadowndilly’ and white ones are sometimes called ‘paperwhites.’

DAFFODIL /
NARCISSUS

Scientific name: Narcissus

Use: Flower

Type: Bulbous Perennials

Height: 6-30″‘

Astrological Flower: December Flower

GROWING

Planting Zones: 4-10

Requirements: Well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Full sun is also required, but very easily achieved. When these are in bloom, most trees are still bare.

DESIGNING

Stem: 8-32″

Blossom Size: 2-5″

Texture: Satin

Silhouette: Solid/ Cup

Vase Life: 3-7 Days, keep growing in vase

Colors: Yellow, white, and orange

Bloom Season: Late winter, early spring

Flowers Available: Year Round

HISTORY OF DAFFODILS

There are two legends of note about the origins of the daffodil, each being very different. It seems this flower has different meanings for different cultures of the world. For the West, it’s vanity, and the East it means fortune and prosperity.

Narcissus by Caravaggio

The first legend is one you might be familiar with: it begins with a young Greek boy named Narcissus who was completely obsessed with himself and his beauty. (As you might have guessed, this is where we get the concept of narcissism.) One day, the boy found a small pond where he was able to see his reflection; he was so completely engrossed with himself he refused to leave and died of starvation. The gods turned the boy’s remains into the first “Narcissus” flower and that is the origin of the lovely flower we see today.

The second legend comes from Chinese culture and is a little more positive. It is said that a poor but good man was given cups of gold every morning from this flower.

I also found a story about two brothers who were given land from their dying father. One brother seized the good, hardy land; the other got the rocky leftovers. The poor brother found the beautiful daffodil flower on his land and begin to cultivate it. The bulbs did very well and brought him fortune. The evil brother was jealous and bought as many bulbs as he could to cash in on his brothers fortune. The greedy brother’s bulbs ended up dying and the good brother was able to buy back his father’s land.

The daffodil is the official flower of Whales, and on March 1st it is custom to wear a daffodil in honor of St. David’s Day. It is also a Welsh custom; whomever sees the first daffodil of the year will be blessed with prosperity for the next 12 months.

The East has a long history with the narcissus. It is one of the most highly revered flowers and the symbol of the Chinese New Year.

Daffodils seem to symbolize both good and bad fortune. When giving daffodils, take extra care to  give a bunch, giving one can bring bad fortune.

TAKE CAUTION WITH DAFFODILS

You may not know this, but daffodils are actually quite toxic. Florists sometime get daffodil itch: dryness, fissures, scaliness on the hands and thickness under the nails due to exposure to calcium oxalate in the sap. The plant itself is only slightly toxic, but the bulb is very dangerous.

FLORIST TIP — Daffodils secrete a substance that is damaging to other flowers sharing the same water in a vase. Keep them separate for at least 24 hours before putting daffodils with other flowers. Change the water often to keep the secretion from damaging other flowers.

Roman soldiers used to carry a satchel of daffodil bulbs with them into battle. If they were injured to the point of death, they would eat these toxic bulbs to relieve pain and hasten death.

According to the BBC, in May 2009 a number of school children fell ill at a school in Suffolk, England after mistaking a daffodil bulb for an onion and adding it to soup during a cooking class. The kids were taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure, but were soon allowed to return home.

TYPES OF DAFFODILS

Types of Daffodils

Daffodils come in hundreds of styles and colors. For horticultural purposes [Read more…]

What Is This Plant With Blueish-Green Leaves?

Ask the Expert: Please can you help me identify this plant?

Euphorbia characias wulfenii

Euphorbia characias wulfenii

Hi, I walk past this garden every morning on the way to work and have watched this plant since mid-summer grow quite vigorously. I really like its look and would like to plant some in my own garden. But having searched through my RHS encyclopaedias and the Internet, I have failed to identify it. Do you have any idea what it it? The highest stems stand around a foot high and it is a slightly blueish-green in colour with a white strip running down the centre. Any help will be very much appreciated. Many thanks, John

Plant Expert Reply:

I had a good idea that the plant was some kind Euphorbia, but I need a little help to make a positive identification.  Lucky for me the great guys at the Memphis Botanic Garden came to my rescue.  The plant is mostly likely a Euphorbia characias wulfenii other wise known as Mediterranean Spurge. In full sun, this clump forming perennial produces chartreuse flowers.

Now that you know the name of the plant, you should be able to find it at a local garden center.

Flower Shop Network tips it’s hat to Rick Pudwell at the Memphis Botanic Garden for the help in identifying this plants.  Thanks Rick!