giant beautiful weedy plant

[patandchickens]

Mentioning it on the herbs thread made me think... so here is a pic of our then 2-yr-old son Harry (he's 3 now) with the volunteer elecampane plant in our side yard. I wouldn't put it in with delicate border plants, but somewhere with space and rough-and-tumble neighboring plants (or, as here, in the middle of lawn where it had seeded itself) I think it's magnificent

Needs deadheading tho. I didn't last year. Oops

Pat

 

[hsm5grls]

WOW That is beautiful. I wish my weeds were that pretty. I don't think it is a weed though. Of course weed is realative. I think Dandolions are pretty and people call those weeds. I'd plant them If they would grow well here. LOL

Opps I see you didn't call it a weed LOL. I thought you had. It is still very pretty. Baby boy is very cute too.

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, is a weed. Nonnative feral roadside weed, originally from the UK I think. Inula elecampane. The Brits use it as a garden plant but then the Brits use pretty much anything as a garden plant, I'm surprised they don't have cherished cultivars of poison ivy <vbg>

Pat

 

[Reinbeau]

Yes, it is Elacampane (Inula helenium). A weed is a plant growing where you don't want it. Elecampane is an herb imported by the settlers to the new world. See here for its uses. My mother and I both consider it a lovely plant, just make sure to deadhead it so you don't get too many. You must have the space to grow it.

 

[sgtsheart]

Yes, it is Elacampane (Inula helenium). A weed is a plant growing where you don't want it. Elecampane is an herb imported by the settlers to the new world. See here for its uses. My mother and I both consider it a lovely plant, just make sure to deadhead it so you don't get too many. You must have the space to grow it.

The plant is beautiful, but it's growing habits remind me of kudzu. There are some places in the south where you don't stand still for very long unless you want to be covered in kudzu. Also imported (for erosion control). Boy was that a mistake!

 

[Reinbeau]

Yes, it is Elacampane (Inula helenium). A weed is a plant growing where you don't want it. Elecampane is an herb imported by the settlers to the new world. See here for its uses. My mother and I both consider it a lovely plant, just make sure to deadhead it so you don't get too many. You must have the space to grow it.

The plant is beautiful, but it's growing habits remind me of kudzu. There are some places in the south where you don't stand still for very long unless you want to be covered in kudzu. Also imported (for erosion control). Boy was that a mistake!

Erosion control and cattle fodder. We go south quite a bit, and it is absolutely amazing to see the kudzu everywhere, and I mean everywhere, there were parts of Georgia where there were literally acres and acres of it! A beekeeper could put hive in a sea of kudzu at bloom time and the honey produced is actually blue - they sell it as 'Smurf Food'

There are other rampant vines down there, down near New Bern, NC there were seas of wisteria, which I love, but not in that quantity!

 

[patandchickens]

One year, back when I was in grad school (in North Carolina), I went to the departmental halloween party dressed as the scariest thing I could think of -- kudzu. I just stapled it all over my clothes. It was a hoot

Pat

 

[sgtsheart]

One year, back when I was in grad school (in North Carolina), I went to the departmental halloween party dressed as the scariest thing I could think of -- kudzu. I just stapled it all over my clothes. It was a hoot

Pat

Pat, as we say here in the South, you just ain't right.

Reinbeau, smurf food?

 

[silkiechicken]

WOW That is beautiful. I wish my weeds were that pretty. I don't think it is a weed though. Of course weed is realative. I think Dandolions are pretty and people call those weeds. I'd plant them If they would grow well here. LOL

Opps I see you didn't call it a weed LOL. I thought you had. It is still very pretty. Baby boy is very cute too.

You want dandilions!!! Remind me next summer and I'll bag you a few lbs of seed.

 

[hsm5grls]

WOW That is beautiful. I wish my weeds were that pretty. I don't think it is a weed though. Of course weed is realative. I think Dandolions are pretty and people call those weeds. I'd plant them If they would grow well here. LOL

Opps I see you didn't call it a weed LOL. I thought you had. It is still very pretty. Baby boy is very cute too.

You want dandilions!!! Remind me next summer and I'll bag you a few lbs of seed.

I know everyone thinks I'm crazy but I moved from Humboldt county CA to desert AZ. I just love a lawn. can't really have one here and I remember playing with dandelions as a kid. I just think they are pretty. I have heard you can put them in your salad???? Maybe that can be my reason for getting them!! LOL Although everyone thinks I'm nuts for wanting blackberry's too so maybe I am a little off my rocker!!!