Did I just transplant, fertilize, water and otherwise nurture a weed for the past week?
I had planted a packet of Mexican sunflower - a tall plant with little orange flowers -and none of it came up. I noticed this in one of the planters and thought it was the lone survivor. I moved it to the barrel last week. Now I think it may be a WEED.
Does it look familiar to anyone?
I've been known to nurture a weed or two in my years of gardening. :)
updateAfter a little investigating on my own, I'm feeling pretty confident that this is Mexican sunflower. The foliage looks very much the same as this photo I found
One guy said his got to 10 feet tall!
Whoops...maybe it should not be in a container :)
I don't think I have to worry about that. It's almost August and mine is only about 7 inches tall.
September 5, 2006 update:
Before going to work this morning I was watering plants and saw a bright orange spot of color at the end of the deck. Ah ha! It is Mexican sunflower!
The little flower itself it nice, but I am not overly fond of the unrefined foliage (especially with all the bug bites in it).
As you can see mine did not get anywhere near 10 feet tall. It also took far too long to bloom.
I don't think I will be growing it next year.
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I love the orange color of the Mexican sunflower. I've only ever seen yellow!
ReplyDeleteAm I understanding correctly, that the sunflower is blooming at 7" tall? Funny.
ReplyDeleteI like that orange color, too, Sue. I hope I get a bloom.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Melissa. No, you are not understanding correctly. The 7" is the one I transplanted with no flower. The flowering one is just a pic I nabbed off the net.
Zoey,
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure the one in the pot is a sunflower...It's not the Mexican one, though. It's the one that will get sunflower seeds for eating, I think.
I sure do miss those.
It could be, Sissy. I planted a few different kinds of suflower seeds and we feed them to the birds,too. A bird could have dropped one in my container.
ReplyDeleteI guess I will just have to wait and see what happens with it.
I was thinking the same thing as Sissy. Mexican SF have smaller leaves. Yours is probably one the birds sowed. We have plenty of those, which I keep moving :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I have been known to nurture a weed in my garden also.
ReplyDelete~ Happy ending to your story!
A pretty flower, whatever it is!
ReplyDeleteWell, the Mex SF usually branch out and have more flowers. I believe it's a member of the zinnia family. I know the butterflies liked it when I grew it. The orange is nice!
ReplyDeleteIt is a pretty little flower.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had much luck with Mexican sunflowers, so I feel the same way as you about them. Lots of leaves, very little flower. They probably do better for other people, but not for me.
I garden like you do, exploring weeds and nurturing them. It sure looks like a Mex. Sunflower to me. What it does look like you got some kind of mutan or hybrid, because it is growing kind of not regularly..... I just discover them myself, planted them because I miss the butterflys and birds that MexSF will atract. When I first moved to Miami in 1961. I used to see a lot of Cardinals, Carpenters and all kinds of birds, butterflyies and squirls. Now, I rearly see them..... I am bend on saving them one backyard garden at a time. So please keep growing those bird and butterfly attractans up north. I my need yours to replentige mine when I finaly convince Miamians that we can not continue to ignore nature, or she will ignore us too.
ReplyDeletePS: I just began to see bees back in my yard.