The MGS Forum
Plant identification => Plant identification => Topic started by: Hilary on November 24, 2015, 04:43:49 PM
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I am still wading through all the flower photos I took at Hyde Hall in September trying to put names to them.
Does anyone know what this is?
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I think I found this out myself. I was looking at shrubs while it turns out to be an annual.
Nicandra physalodes , If I am correct
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Nicandra physalodes
Not having a garden I avoid plants which need much care.
However after obtaining seeds from THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY seed exchange and seeing how my friends enjoyed sowing them in their gardens I decided last year to give it a go. Flowering plants in pots seem to have a very short life on our hot balcony.
I planted the seeds in October and thought these must have been weeds as they grew so quickly and strongly while other seeds have just produced some tiny leaves so far.
I was thrilled to see one blue flower then another opening. Reading about the plant it seems to grow very tall and wide but I am sure it is not meant to flower at the beginning of December which these did, so I am leaving them alone
Ah I see I have already posted about Nicandra which I had seen in Hyde Hall gardens a few years ago
The current seed list is here
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/seedlist.html
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Nicandra physalodes
The latest photo was taken at the beginning of February. I bring them into the house in the evening and, if it is not windy but sunny, put them outside on the balcony during the day.
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More on the Nicandra Physalodes front
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This plant is mentioned twice in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN by its synonym Physalis Peruviana
Issue number 69, July 2012
THE IDLE THIRD TERRACE;
IN MALLORCA, PART 1 by Jaime Ruiz
Issue number 70, October 2012
THE IDLE THIRD TERRACE:
TROPICAL EXPERIMENTS IN MALLORCA, PART 2 by Jaime Ruiz
It seems the fruit is edible
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We grow its relative Physalis peruviana, the fruit of which is certainly edible. I don't know if that's true of the fruit of Nicandra but as they are in the Solanaceae family I'd be wary.