Really pretty sage-y sort of thing with purple flowers...

[Andrew]

Anyone know what the heck this is?

FWIW it's the only one in the neighborhood... actually, two big clumps of them. Also looks like they're sprouting up in this person's yard next to the bed where they're planted!

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[Carol Dee]

Ohhh it is pretty. I will try to find it in my wild flower guide.
oh, it might help if we knew what part of the country you are in?

 

[thistlebloom]

Yep, that's lychnis coronaria Andrew, also known commonly as Rose campion. They're pretty tough plants, able to grow in a wide variety of soils and will self sow if left to it's own devices.

 

[Andrew]

Hello!

Carol: Southern New Jersey... guess I should add that to my profile.

thistlebloom: That's it! Never even heard of it. The pictures don't do it justice... it's really nice. I have never seen one in any of the local nurseries so I think I'll ask around.

cheers,
Andrew

 

[Carol Dee]

You are going to love it here. (Kind of addicting)

 

[momofdrew]

it is campion and can be invasive but it is pretty in large clumps you just need to dead head before they go to seed...

 

[momofdrew]

Hello!

Carol: Southern New Jersey... guess I should add that to my profile.

thistlebloom: That's it! Never even heard of it. The pictures don't do it justice... it's really nice. I have never seen one in any of the local nurseries so I think I'll ask around.

cheers,
Andrew

Andrew you wont find it in nurseries it is an very old fashion plant... I have it in my yard but the people who owned the house before us was 90 when we bought it 20 years ago...

 

[thistlebloom]

Hello!

Carol: Southern New Jersey... guess I should add that to my profile.

thistlebloom: That's it! Never even heard of it. The pictures don't do it justice... it's really nice. I have never seen one in any of the local nurseries so I think I'll ask around.

cheers,
Andrew

Andrew you wont find it in nurseries it is an very old fashion plant... I have it in my yard but the people who owned the house before us was 90 when we bought it 20 years ago...

Since it self sows so readily you could buy seeds ( there's gotta be a source ) or just watch that one and collect from it when it's ready.

 

[Andrew]

Old-fashioned??!?!?

No way. I mean, maybe. But being pretty new to this I wasn't aware "old fashioned" plants lose favor! (??????? huh???????) To me they look pretty modern, actually. Now, roses... THAT is old-fashioned.

Anyway - I may knock on the door and ask about them. I'll do my homework and figure out how to know when they're producing seeds and so forth, I'm not sure it's as easy as waiting for the little "now seeding" sign to light up.

These things are really nice - the pictures don't do them justice. I have found a few spots online who carry the seeds - if anyone has any favorite seed places please feel free to share!

Cheers
Andrew

 

[patandchickens]

I'm surprised y'all are describing it as hard to find -- I even see it at our Walmarts sometimes. Probably it's a regional thing?

Yes, it's not reliably very perennial but self-seeds well if it likes the soil and there isn't too much mulch.

There are also white and light-pink cultivars -- personally I think the light-pink one is the prettiest but when I have planted them they've neither returned the next spring nor turned out to have seeded themselves, so I think it's a less vigorous variety. The normal variety has screaming-hot-pink flowers, the one in your photo looks like it may be darker? If so, it's quite attractive (and less eye-hurting than the normal kind LOL)

If you knock on the door, the person may well be happy to dig some up for you, or at least help you collect the seed heads at the correct time, so I'd suggest trying that BEFORE mail-ordering anything

Good luck, have fun,

Pat