Sunday, July 31, 2011

Anybody know what this is?

Something completely new sprang up in one of the flower beds this year. It appeared among the snapdragons, but it's a different flower altogether. The plant has several small flowers of an amazingly deep blue. Does anyone have an idea what this thing might be? Click to enlarge.

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11 comments:

  1. KartmanJuly 31, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    Maybe gloxinia. Not sure.

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  2. RebeccaHJuly 31, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    I can't be sure, but it looks like it might be a species of johnny-jump-up, which is a kind of violet that often grows wild. Possibly the seed got accidentally mixed in with your snaps, or was the gift of an errant bird.

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  3. AnonymousJuly 31, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    Don't know either, but it sure is pretty. If it's a new species, what name would you and Mrs. Paco give it? By-the-way, I noticed some yellowish leaves on the right side of the screen. Hope it's not poison oak sneaking in.

    Thank you, RebeccaH. My grandmother had lots of flowers in beds around the house. I thought she was calling the snapdragons by another name when she referred to johhny-jump-ups. Clearly she was pointing to a different flower.

    Deborah Leigh

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  4. JeffSJuly 31, 2011 at 11:21 PM

    Hmmmmmmmm......some sort of plant, maybe? All that green could be chlorophyll, with the bright colors some sort of lure for insects to encourage cross-pollination. That's a classic ploy by vegetation to encourage procreation.

    If that's soil in the background, it probably is a plant. Otherwise, got not a clue.

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  5. mojoAugust 1, 2011 at 1:37 AM

    Any, y'know...pods?

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  6. kaeAugust 1, 2011 at 2:49 AM

    Pansies is what I thought...

    They look like Johnny jump ups - violas.

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  7. AnonymousAugust 1, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    This is an annual called Torenia, or wishbone flower. (In NJ, also called clown flower.)

    Wendy from NJ

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  8. PacoAugust 1, 2011 at 11:16 AM

    It looks like Wendy is right! I pulled up some images of torenia and that's the very thing. Thanks, Wendy! And thanks to all who weighed in.

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  9. AnonymousAugust 1, 2011 at 4:07 PM

    Darn! There goes the new name. Paco, since Wendy says it is referred to as the "wishbone" flower, this may be your chance or chances. Might be a trick though. There might be only one wish for the whole bouquet. Hmmm. So many choices.

    Deborah Leigh

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  10. JeffSAugust 1, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    OK, Wendy confirmed it -- that's a plant.

    TW: jalin. A Jumping Palin? What sort of flower is that, AI?

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  11. RebeccaHAugust 1, 2011 at 5:42 PM

    Torenia, huh? And it comes in different colors. Thanks for the tip, I might have to have some of that for my flowerbeds next year.

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