Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed?

Windmere 6/19/2015, 4:49 pm

I've been tending to these plants that are among my borage plants. I planted milkweed in this area... also maybe four o'clocks. Anyway, I can't tell if this is one of those two things or just a nasty weed. Can anyone spot what these plants are?

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? Garden19

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? Garden19

momvet 6/19/2015, 5:13 pm

It's been a long time since I had Four O'clocks but the foliage does look like them. Don't take my word. When in doubt, I let them grown until I know for sure! Cool

Marc Iverson 6/19/2015, 5:44 pm

They're marigolds!

Just kidding. Wink

littlejo 6/19/2015, 8:58 pm

I would say they are Four O Clocks. I don't know what milkweed looks like. If it doesn't bloom soon, and you decide to get rid of the plant, dig it gently and it should have a bulb under the dirt if it is a Four O Clock. If you started from seed, it takes a long time to get the bulb grown underground.
Jo

Windmere 6/19/2015, 9:46 pm

Thank you all (you too Marc Wink

). My wife and I grew up with four o'clocks around our childhood homes in California. You'd think I'd be able to positively ID it, but something just isn't right.. not sure what. I will let it grow for a while longer. I do remember the bulb on the established one littlejo. These would be too young though.

One thing that may be making me doubt is that I remember four o'clocks having blossoms a lot sooner. Hopefully this mystery will solve itself soon.

TCgardening 6/19/2015, 10:04 pm

Looks like Spanish Needles to me. If so a weed that really attracts butterflies & bees.

http://www.eattheweeds.com/spanish-needles-pitchfork-weed/

Windmere 6/19/2015, 10:14 pm

TCgardening wrote:Looks like Spanish Needles to me. If so a weed that really attracts butterflies & bees.

http://www.eattheweeds.com/spanish-needles-pitchfork-weed/

Thank you TCgardening. That does look very similar. If it ends up being something like that, I'd be happy. That little section is dedicated to my wife for her love of bees and butterflies. I had to cut down a borage plant to allow light on a rose... and she nearly had a fit for the sake of the bumblebees! She is ok though, the rose is called "Love" and I planted that for her too. Wink

Meanwhile, I have like 15 or more borage plants all over the place. Given their prolific nature... I think we will be having them for decades to come.

yolos 6/19/2015, 10:31 pm

Yea, my Four O'clocks have been blooming for a long time. If I can remember, I will take a picture tomorrow.

Marc Iverson 6/20/2015, 2:51 am

yolos wrote:Yea, my Four O'clocks have been blooming for a long time. If I can remember, I will take a picture tomorrow.

I would like to see that. I've read they poison bugs that come to feed on them,and am curious about using them for pest control. If they were pretty, that might push me in one direction ...

Marc Iverson 6/20/2015, 2:53 am

[quote="Windmere"]

TCgardening wrote:
Meanwhile, I have like 15 or more borage plants all over the place. Given their prolific nature... I think we will be having them for decades to come.

I've found it very hard to germinate the borage seeds I get from Botanical Interests. Where do you get your seeds? I need a borage success story already.

**sanderson** 6/20/2015, 3:31 am

Do you know where the problem lies with you successfully growing borage? Seeds from Baker Creek.

Marc Iverson 6/20/2015, 3:50 am

No I'm not sure I know where the problem lies. I grew some last year and when I transplanted them they quickly died. I used the same packet this year -- any seed should still be largely viable after a single year -- and so far, no germination.

I have read they're difficult to transplant because they develop a taproot ... but if I haven't even gotten much germination,then the transplanting for the most part hasn't even figured in yet. Anyway second year now and not a single successful borage plant. And the seeds seem kinda expensive.

Thanks for the Bakers Creek recommendation.

**sanderson** 6/20/2015, 3:55 am

At this point, can you just direct sow in an area where you can water daily?

Marc Iverson 6/20/2015, 4:03 am

Sure I suppose. I've already done plenty sowing, but I could always try some more. Kinda bummed that the latest sowing in gallon containers did zip ... maybe I just got a packet of seeds that was mostly duds. Botanical Interests ... but they haven't been a whole buncha disappointment for me on other seeds ... oh well, gotta happen sometime I guess.

I wonder why no nurseries around here grow borage for transplants.

**sanderson** 6/20/2015, 5:02 am

I think borage is one of those plants that is valued by veggie gardeners, but is not classically pretty in the modern flower garden. Maybe an "English or cottage garden," but not modern urban neighborhoods.

MackerelSky 6/20/2015, 6:40 am

My Lady always seems to get a few 4-oclocks planted for me as they were one of my Mom's favorites as I was growing up. These went into the ground around the first of June but might give you a clue(or not)

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? Img_7725

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? Img_7725

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? Img_7726

We usually don't get blossoms 'til mid July or so.

Brad

**AtlantaMarie** 6/20/2015, 7:45 am

Windmere - could it be pokeweed? The leaves look similar, although a little more pointed... If you get white flowers in elongated clusters, and then dark purple berries, that's probly pokeweed. They are poisonous!

Borage is also used medicinally & in salads. Both leaves & flowers are apparently edible.

Windmere 6/20/2015, 8:23 am

Marc Iverson wrote:
Windmere wrote:
TCgardening wrote:
Meanwhile, I have like 15 or more borage plants all over the place. Given their prolific nature... I think we will be having them for decades to come.

I've found it very hard to germinate the borage seeds I get from Botanical Interests. Where do you get your seeds? I need a borage success story already.

I got them from Botanical Interests. (Sorry Sad

)

Goosegirl 6/20/2015, 8:52 am

Marc - I am with you on the success (lack of) with Borage. A few years ago I scattered an entire seed packet on my spiral herb bed, only to have 2 germinate. One died, leaving me with one plant for the entire season. Knowing that it proliferates easily by spreading its seeds far and wide, I contented myself with that - only to have NO volunteers come up the following year from seed-spread. I bought the seeds at a local store.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/20/2015, 9:55 am

Could also be a member of the Pigweed family.

Cajun Cappy 6/20/2015, 10:06 am

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed?

After careful consideration I must answer.........YES you are definitely doing one or the other. Very Happy

**Scorpio Rising** 6/20/2015, 10:09 am

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 931411784

Truth!

TCgardening 6/20/2015, 10:17 am

Cappy
It's hard to disagree with your way of thinking!
Craig

Cajun Cappy 6/20/2015, 10:57 am

Actually for us the fun part is picking something that volunteered and waiting to see what it turns out to be. A gardening thing we enjoy. Finding out what volunteered is a fun thing Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 3085260134

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 3085260134

littlejo 6/20/2015, 12:15 pm

It has been so hot, humid, with lack of rain that I have just been able to water in the garden only. The flowers in outlying areas, around trees etc have been left to Mother Nature. I decided to check on my Four O Clocks, poke, etc and get some pics. My Four O Clocks don't look their best and are not blooming yet, due to no rain.
Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 00110

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 00110

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 00210

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 00310

My poke has gone to flower already. I will say that my DH eats poke in the early spring when it first comes up, before it blooms. I know, I'm showing my age. Remember CCR had a song, about Poke salad . In the early spring only, when the plant is young, the leaves can be cooked like spinach or eaten raw. My DH cuts the plant off, peels the stalk(it is easy) and cuts into rounds, breads and fries like okra.
Poke is very poison, after spring, when it has any red coloring or after it blooms.
Jo
Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 00510

Am I nuturing a beautiful flower or harboring a weed? 00510

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