When the Israelites saw it [manna], they said to each other, “What is it?”
For they did not know what it was. (Exodus 16:15)
For they did not know what it was. (Exodus 16:15)
Meet my manna plants.
Every time I glance at my "manna plants", I think, "What IS it?"
I'm counting on your gardening knowledge here, O reader, to help me out.
Meet the first culprit. I bought this so-called "Snowball Bush" at a garage sale a few years back. I thought I was buying a Chinese Snowball Bush similar to the photo below.
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The odd thing? The woman who sold it to me pointed to a big snowball bush behind her...which was beautiful...and said she dug up an offshoot from that bush. Hmmmm.
A closer look at the leaves. My best guess is some kind of lacecap hydrangea or possibly a viburnum. At any rate, it looks to be beautiful, but the not knowing is making me a little insane.
I have a sinking feeling that there's a high probability Manna Plant #2 is a weed.
It drafted itself into my garden. One day it was not there, the next day it was. But it was so pretty I couldn't bear to pull it out and I actually transplanted the thing.
My gut feeling is that it's red valerian.
I haven't the foggiest idea what red valerian looks like.
But this sure resembles what I would imagine red valerian to be.
Maybe I've subconsciously cataloged red valerian in my brain.
Faithful readers, what is your collective wisdom here?
The first one is definately a lacecap hydrangea - I have several growing in our yard and they are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea about the second one - could it be monarda?
How fun to have lovely things growing, even if you don't know exactly what they are!
second one is the red valerian and my seeds itself around..not a weed here and I love it..you are good at figuring this out Hanni
ReplyDelete@Barbara: yes, it IS fun, except when I find out that what I've been carefully watching over is an invasive weed! (that may have happened in the past...):)
ReplyDelete@Donna: really? it is? Hoorah!!!! Thank you!
Valerian - came with me from the last garden. Have lost them now. Discovered too late, that it is best treated as an annual, not left to die of old age as mine did ;~)
ReplyDeleteHanni, although the flowers of your shrub are similar to lacecap hydrangeas, the leaves are not. I do think your shrub is viburnum opulus, also called European cranberry. The beautiful one at the garage sale looks like Viburnum opulus 'Roseum', often called common snowball. It consists of showy, sterile flowers. Other varieties of viburnum opulus have flowers like yours, with small, fertile flowers in the center surrounded by a ring of larger, showy, non-fertile flowers. Perhaps the lady's shrub produced an offshoot which reverted to an ancestral variety. Or could the snowball have been grafted to rootstock of a different variety?
ReplyDelete.
Hanni, I'm so sorry I can't help you out at all, but I got such a kick out of the fact that you named it "Manna plant"! Seems like your readers may have helped figure it out for you, and your gut was right. Happy Monday!
ReplyDeleteMy guess would also be to call the bush a viburnum. There are so many varieties of these shrubs, but most bloom in spring and have more veining on their leaves than hydrangeas... at least in my experience.
ReplyDeleteIt is so fun to name things (another OT reference :)).
I am pretty sure the red one is valerian. A tough and welcome plant.
ReplyDeleteHanni, I was going to say yes to the valerian but it sounds like you've already heard that. My grandmother-in-law had it taking over her garden, but that's because she never did anything to control it. I'm sure a gardener will be able to enjoy it and keep its reseeding in check without too much trouble.
ReplyDelete@Elephants: Your poor old valerian...;) Thanks for the tip though!
ReplyDelete@debsgarden: Thank you!!! You know, her house is nearby, and I actually walked past the other day just to make sure. She does indeed have the very snowball-ish bush. I didn't know that different kinds could produce different flowers.
@Bumble Lush: bwahaha! It gave me a tickle to call it that, too.
@WMG: It's only fun naming them if you can come up with a name! LOL!
ReplyDelete@Rosey: Thank you...I'm really glad it's not a weed because it was just so pretty.
@VW: Yes, I've heard of it being a little crazy, but I like my garden a little crazy. It's easier that way. :)