Strange Plants in my Flowerbed

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by RZM, Jul 23, 2004.

  1. RZM

    RZM Member

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    Location:
    North Vancouver, BC
    Over the past couple of months I have noticed a strange plant that has been popping up all over my flowerbed. There are about 10 - 15 plants (all the same variety).

    I suspect it arrived by seed that was carried in the wind but have no idea what this is. Would anyone happen to know?

    So far there are no flowers, it is about 1 foot high and growing quickly. The stalk is about 1" in diameter.

    I am wondering is this might be an evening primrose? (hear they seed like weeds?) Whatever this is, I am curious to know what it is and it's expected height/width (to know if I should be moving it to another roomy location or if it is a weed to pull it?

    Roxanne
     

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  2. RZM

    RZM Member

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    Now Has Flowers

    I have an update - my mystery plants are beginning to get flowers on their stalks. Attached are some pictures - some plants have white flowers, some plants have red flowers, some plants have pink flowers and some have purple flowers.

    The flowers are growing on the stalk of the plant - not on shoots off of the plant.

    Does any of this look familiar? Now does anyone know what these plants are???? Such a big mystery. I'm thinking of moving them to another area in the fall, but if they are really just weeds then I'd rather pull them.
     

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  3. Harry Hill

    Harry Hill Member

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    Location:
    Roberts Creek, BC (Sunshine Coast) Zone 8
    Impatiens balsamina

    My guess would be Impatiens balsamina. It's an annual or tender perennial in the same family as garden impatiens, jewelweed, touch-me-not, etc. Either it was grown previously in the garden and left a few seeds behind or the seeds were brought in with compost or mulch.
    More info here:
    http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/annuals/impatiens_balsamina.html
    and here:
    http://www.missouriplants.com/Whitealt/Impatiens_balsamina_page.html

    Harry Hill
    Roberts Creek, BC
     
  4. RZM

    RZM Member

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    Thank You

    Hi Harry,

    Thank you very much for helping me out on this one. I went to the sites you gave, I printed the pictures and compared them to the plants and by George I think you got it :-) Even right down to all the different flower colors - we have them all in our flower bed.

    We've never planted those plants in the 12 years we lived here and we didn't put our compost in that flowerbed this year but...come to think of it we did have a trailer of soil brought in for that flower bed - ah ha, so that's the guilty culprit. But that's okay, it's filling in nicely in the flowerbed and the website you gave say they bloom July to September.

    These plants are looking like they'd be great filler's in my back yard so I'm going to see if I can save some seeds to plant next year.

    Thank you very much Harry, you made me a happy camper today to finally know what those mysterious plants are.

    Happy gardening.
    Roxanne
     

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