More memories from the summer – this catch up is from the 14 September 2013.
Over the course of August and into September I have been observing the development of several unusual weeds on my allotment, which first came to my attention back at the end of July when I returned from my travels.
The first of these plants were growing amongst the Tomato plants, at the time it was a leafy plant, with a deeply grooved stem which was stained a deep, rich, purple and that supported the slightly lobed, diamond shaped leaves. Above this was an inflorescence, formed from a number of individual bell shaped flowers; that were open when I first saw the plant at the beginning of the afternoon, but by late afternoon had shut tight. When open the flowers were a delicate lavender blue bell, with a white interior and distinctive blue markings that leaked out from the very centre, like ink on blotting paper. So with this picture in my mind, it was off to search for an identity that wasn’t very hard to come across as the plant really is very distinctive – as for the identification, it is the Apple of Peru also known as the Shoofly, and as the name suggests is native to Peru.
An Apple of Peru Flower – 18 August 2013 (Copyright Carol Jones)
So how does this stranger arrive here in my southern Scotland allotment? According to the information available it is sometimes a contaminant of compost and also forms parts of many bird seed food mixes from which it regularly escapes. Both of these situations could be the source of my plant, for the Tomatoes were brought in as seedlings. They then lived on the outside windowsill at home to harden off, where the local bird population are not unknown to hide seeds from the feeders in. More worryingly according to sources this plant is quite capable of growing to five or six feet in height, maybe not such a good idea amongst the Tomatoes, but at the time I had failed to read this part and the plant amongst the Tomatoes showed no signs of growing more than eighteen inches tall and if anything the Tomatoes where outgrowing the Apple of Peru.
Part of an Inflorescence – 14 September 2013 (Copyright Carol Jones)
Shortly after the first plant was discovered, a second came to light, this time growing amongst the Perilla plants (a set of plants grown from seed this time in brought in compost, and harden off on the windowsill again) and this one once it reached eighteen inches just kept on growing and growing. By the end of the summer it had easily reached four feet and was well on the way to being nearly five feet tall! At this height it was a decidedly a stately and bushy affair, making a most magnificent plant, when covered with its lavender blue flowers, and especially when these flowers were in their full glory, early in the afternoon. Even when the flowers were opening or closing, the calyxes that would eventually develop into the seed pods were amazing structural elements in their own right. They were five sided pointed affairs that were again stained with this rich dark purple colouring.
Ripening Pods – 14 September 2013(Copyright Carol Jones)
As the summer has moved on these plants have grown and developed, and I had grown far too interested in how they would develop to take them out, especially as they weren’t really in the way of other plants. So they are likely to continue to grow and develop until they are killed by a sharp frost, which may mean that they set seed. I therefore wonder when next year comes, whether I shall rue the day that I let these plants stand, as I pull and hoe out their countless progeny!! But only time will tell and may well prove to be my folly of my ways.
lostnaturalist 