We spotted a plant growing next to the moonflower, so, as is our custom, since it didn't seem to be a weed, we pulled it up and potted it to see what materialized. This is it, today:
We didn't know what this thing was, so Mrs. Paco went to a web site she heard about, called Pl@ntNet Identify, which allows you to upload a photo and get instant feedback on what your plant might be. Ours turned out to be musk okra, a member of a very large family that includes, among many other species, hibiscus (which explains why the flower looks so familiar). Musk okra seeds were at one time used in perfumes, but have been replaced by synthetic chemicals. The plant's green seed pods are supposedly edible, and musk okra reportedly has certain medical benefits. It's a perennial, so we hope to see it grow and multiply next year.
The flower looks almost identical to the okra my mom always grew in her garden. When she harvested it, it didn't look like it would be very good to eat, but the way she cooked (actually, fried in batter, I think) it tasted a lot better than what you would have thought when she brought it in from the garden.
ReplyDeleteThe okra plant that produces the well-known vegetable of which you speak is also in the same big family that includes hibiscus.
ReplyDeleteNice green thumb you and the missus have, Paco! God knows mine is brown ... ... I'm lucky to keep my lawn green.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of gardens ... have you heard about "The People's Garden", courtesy of the USDA?
I'm thinking of entering my rock lawn into that Jeff.
ReplyDeleteLet them come and take my weeds.
Jeff: We can't take credit for this one, it just popped up out of nowhere.
ReplyDeleteMy garden's full of stuff that's probably on a list somewhere of invasive species, or "toxic plants to avoid" or "banned by the Ag Dept." or some such thing, so I definitely won't be registering it.
I'm sure that Democrats view us as invasive species who are toxic and shod be banned.
DeleteMy bet was on hibiscus, until I read on. It's a pretty little one. A wonderful gift from Heaven. Does it become a bush like the hibiscus? Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYes, but we are, in the words of Captain Aubrey (as played by Russell Crowe), "prickly and difficult to eradicate".
ReplyDeletePretty flower. I never heard of musk okra, but regular okra has a flower kind of like that.
ReplyDelete