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ctlady_gw

Did I get this from a CT swapper??

ctlady_gw
13 years ago

I have a plant just beginning to bloom that I THINK I got from the spring CT plant swap (can't swear to that -- but I didn't have this plant last year, and I don't know where else it would have come from!) I thought from the foliage (flat, iris-like leaves to the left of the flower in the picture) that it might be crocosmia or even glads (though I didn't think I had either ... although if someone in the CT swap group just happens to HAVE some crocosmia they can spare, here's the first fall swap request!! :)

But now it is blooming, and THIS is what it looks like, with a relatively small (at least in iris or daylily terms), dainty star-shaped flower. It is absolutely enchanting... I just don't know what it IS:

Anyone know?

Comments (7)

  • ego45
    13 years ago

    Belamcanda chinensis aka Blackberry lily aka Leopard lily.
    Leave seadpods on and see why it's called Blackberry lily.
    Personaly, I found them more amusing than flowers itself.

    P.S. No, yours is not from me :-)

  • ctlady_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Ah, George -- should have known you'd have the answer! I'm so glad to have it (wherever it came from) ... just looked it up and it should be hardy (though just). Interesting that it is one of the plants Thomas Jefferson grew at Monticello...

    Whoever gave it to me (or brought it to the swap) ... thank you! (And I shall watch for the seedpods, too. I take it they must resemble blackberries...:)

  • diggingthedirt
    13 years ago

    I had it for awhile, but for some reason it didn't thrive in my garden. I started it with seeds that a friend brought me from Monticello, and I was really sad the year it failed to come back. Can't recall it if was the awful winter ('05? '06?) when we had ice sheets on the gardens for weeks, or if it just left with out any excuse.

  • anitamo
    13 years ago

    They seed around for me, which I don't mind, as I love the color. Orange is hard to come by.

  • Richard Dollard
    13 years ago

    You may have gotten that from me Marty but not this year. I think I gave some away last year. Richie

  • ctlady_gw
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Hi Richie,

    So you have this plant? Do you like it? Does it do well for you? I must say it is quite enchanting ... sure wish I knew where it came from! (This is one where I have to seriously doubt I can credit bird droppings! :) I'm pretty sure I didn't have it last year, though I suppose it's possible that I did and that I moved it -- I know it wasn't where it is now last year! At any rate, would love to hear anyone's experiences with it. It is occupying a prime bit of garden real estate just now and I'll have to decide this fall whether to move it to another spot or not. It's a bit tall for where it is (which leads me to think I had no idea what it was when I put it in...)

    I am glad to know it is both native and historical -- neat!

  • Richard Dollard
    13 years ago

    HI Marty, I do have that plant. It doesn't come up anymore in the original area where I had it which was the north west side of the house, I have a few surviving on the south side now. I wish they would come up in mass for me but they don't, I think it's fussy. Save the seed pods and scatter them or try winter sowing,they should come up that way.I do remember bringing a few to the swap awhile back and talking about them but not sure which year. I got the original plant at a nice garden center on the Bristol/Southington line down the road from ESPN...can't think of the name of the place now....too early.