Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: Anthony Darby on December 11, 2015, 04:02:41 AM

Title: Unknown annual
Post by: Anthony Darby on December 11, 2015, 04:02:41 AM

Any ideas what this plant, that turned up in a meadow mix, is?

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: Hoy on December 11, 2015, 08:53:23 AM

Looks like a Vaccaria. Maybe Vaccaria hispanica?

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: Anthony Darby on December 11, 2015, 09:56:02 AM

Someone has suggested Silene.

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: Maggi Young on December 11, 2015, 10:08:12 AM

My thought was Saponaria - which I think is a synonym for  several Vaccaria sp.

 Your plant is a well -flowered type, for sure.

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: ashley on December 11, 2015, 10:15:34 AM

Maybe Silene armeria?

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: Maggi Young on December 11, 2015, 10:25:48 AM

Very likely, Ashley, I would think.  It is  threads tlikethis that make me think I should  perhaps consider more the use of such annuals/biennials inthe garden.

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: Anthony Darby on December 11, 2015, 11:05:16 AM

Looks like Silene armeria. Came in a meadow mix from the USA.

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: fermi de Sousa on December 11, 2015, 11:10:47 AM

I think Ashley has hit the nail on the head.
I first got this from a friend who simply called it "Aunt Mary" - not sure if that's who gave it to him or if he was using a bit of poetic license on Ar-meria!?
cheers
fermi

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: ashley on December 11, 2015, 11:38:15 AM

Quote from: Anthony Darby on December 11, 2015, 11:05:16 AM

Came in a meadow mix from the USA.

Amazing that such undefined 'mixes' are still allowed into NZ with its biosecurity rules and history of damage by aliens.

Title: Re: Unknown annual
Post by: Anthony Darby on December 13, 2015, 07:53:59 AM

Bought here in a hardware store. It just said "American meadow mix to attract butterflies". They would be harvested in New Zealand and just selected for "origin" - although Silene armeria is a European plant, but naturalised in the USA.