Plant of the Day

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Umbrian

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #390 on: July 01, 2018, 05:53:04 PM »
Thank you!
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day - Hemerocallis
« Reply #391 on: July 02, 2018, 10:05:08 AM »
We have several Hemerocallis fulva and we recently came across this chap in a local nursery. It was the only one they had and, of course, was unnamed.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #392 on: July 06, 2018, 07:12:59 AM »
In 2015 on our way back from the MGS AGM on Ischia we called in to see our friend Keay Burton-Pierconti (sadly no longer with us) and she took us to the garden of the son of one of her friends, Marco Mariani. My wife admired some Cosmos that were growing there and he gave her a few seeds. I don't know which it is but below is the flower the first one of this year.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #393 on: September 28, 2018, 01:31:44 PM »
Wedelia or as I see I am now supposed to call it Sphagneticola trilobata is a useful ground cover for us. It has a bad reputation in some countries being designated as an invasive weed, however we don't find it that troublesome. Perhaps because our climate is far too dry for it to spread very quickly.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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Fermi

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #394 on: September 28, 2018, 02:28:12 PM »
Wedelia or as I see I am now supposed to call it Sphagneticola trilobata is a useful ground cover for us. It has a bad reputation in some countries being designated as an invasive weed...
Yes, "Singapore Daisy" is a pest in warmer parts of Australia! My sister lives in Queensland and it was a major weed covering the ground which had to be removed for them to be able to garden!
We were in Singapore last year and saw the gardeners at one of the parks planting it!
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #395 on: September 28, 2018, 03:06:00 PM »
I don't recall ever coming across it during our 3 years in Singapore. How it came by the common name of Singapore daisy when it originates from the Caribbean area, Mexico and Central America is another of those little mysteries.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #396 on: October 17, 2018, 06:58:16 AM »
Our newly acquired Thunbergia erecta would appear to be settling in well.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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JTh

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #397 on: October 17, 2018, 05:51:14 PM »
I just now saw the yellow flower you showed us on July 06, 2018. which I believe is Cosmos sulphureus. I collected a few seeds of this a couple of weeks ago and hopefully I may have some flowers in the garden next year. 

I was surprised to see that it's an annual, it grows very quickly and may get quite big; it flowers all summer. I also read that this plant was declared invasive by the United States Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council in 1996, but I have a feeling that almost all plants seem to be declared  invasive somewhere in the US; I don't think they are necessarily invasive everywhere. On the other hand, the flowers of all Cosmos attract birds and butterflies, including the monarch butterfly, which sounds good to me.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day - Jaborosa integrifolia
« Reply #398 on: November 01, 2018, 08:59:19 AM »
This is a plant that we saw on the MGS AGM pre-tour to Mallorca and is one that I had never come across before. Apparently it spreads as a low-growing ground cover. The owner gave my wife a couple of 'bits' so we'll see how it fares in our harsh climate,  planted in shade and allowed what water we can spare.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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Alisdair

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Re: Plant of the Day - Jaborosa integrifolia
« Reply #399 on: November 01, 2018, 09:46:17 AM »
I got a good sniff at the flowers - nice fragrance. (But I think that the tomato-like fruits may be poisonous?)
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #400 on: November 01, 2018, 02:58:20 PM »
As it's Solanaceae, Alisdair, there's a good chance that you are right. I have planted the 3 'bits' we brought back this morning in a shady spot where we can give them any spare water, so we'll see how they fare.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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JTh

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #401 on: November 01, 2018, 04:21:06 PM »
I haven't found anything about toxicity to humans, but I don't think it's wise to try to eat any parts of the plant. According to Wikipedia,  many Jaborosa species contain steroid-derived compounds called withanolides, some of them are phytotoxic, others have antifeedant effects, deterring insects, including the Mediterranean fruit fly, from consuming the plant. If the anti-fruit fly effect could be transferred to olive trees, it would be a great help.

I also read that fruits are rare on this plant. ref. 'The reproductive biology of Jaborosa integrifolia (Solanaceae): Why its fruits are so rare?'https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00985456#page-1.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #402 on: November 01, 2018, 06:05:50 PM »
Very interesting, Jorun, thanks for that. Let's see if we can establish any of these plants first and then take it from there. We were mainly attracted by their flowers, the fact that they spread as a ground cover and, quite frankly, their novelty value.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Umbrian

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #403 on: November 02, 2018, 07:52:30 AM »
I bought one of these several years ago on seeing it for the first time and for much the same reasons as you John. It seemed to settle well and even produced one flower the second year but then disappeared - probably because I failed to give it any on going care having placed it under a large Bay tree where I wanted some attractive ground cover.
Good luck with yours I shall be interested to hear how it fares.
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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John J

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Re: Plant of the Day
« Reply #404 on: March 27, 2019, 08:45:33 AM »
Update on our 'bits' of this plant from Mallorca. They survived the winter and have begun to put out new growth, some of which looked like they might be flower buds. Then this morning we went out to find one open.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)