Friday, March 07, 2008

Strangest Plant In My Garden


Not too long ago a friend asked me what the strangest flower was in the garden... now, that's kind of a head-scratcher, as our garden has more than it's share of oddities, but after thinking about it I've decided on Asarum minamitanianum, a wild ginger originally native to the Japanese island of Kyushu (but said to be nearly extinct in the wild).
It has speckled, evergreen leaves, and the flowers... well, I've seen them described as "mutant starfish". They are maroon and white, and waxy. They have long 'tails" on each of the petals, the flower lying uneasily just off the ground like some Daliesque creature from space... Cool.
Posted by Picasa

Comments:
Too put a good face on it, it certainly is an exotic looking flower. I was tempted to buy a bat flower Tacca chantrieri as it looks similarly weird but haven't tried it yet. It is a tropical so would have to overwinter indoors which is definitely not a plus. But it would be a conversation piece for sure.
 
You are definitely an interesting gardener-collector-of-the-unusual! :-) Nice to have you, your photos, and your comments back "in circulation!"
 
It's a pretty scary looking flower as well, I half expect to see being placed in a witches brew in a movie. Very cool flower though!
 
I think I like it. Thanks for sharing.~~Dee
 
Looks like ginger to me! Does it smell like rotting meat meat? the one I found in the redwoods back home looked liek that with a rotting meat smell.
 
Looks like something they'd use on Star Trek.
 
Ki... I've eyeballed those bat flowers in catalogues but have never pulled the trigger and bought one.

Shady... thanks; it's nice to be back... now if the snow would just melt so i could get out in the garden!

Ken... we used to call the native wild gingers "witches thimbles" when I was a kid.

Dee... you're welcome!

Nickie... you know, i can't remember if it had a smell or not; I'll check it out this spring though I don't have a very good nose, perhaps due to having it broken twice).

MMD... It does look like something from Venus.

Don
 
I'd agree looks Star Treky. Very interesting indeed.
 
It reminds me of a succulent plant that grows very easily here in South Africa - Stapelia (Carrion Flower). This does have an awful smell though! (explains the name)
 
I just love weird things.
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?