Flower quandry..........

[beginners-luck]

...............and it's driving me nuts. I know that there will be someone here that can tell what the name is. I love this delicate flower, pale lilac, which has filled a huge basket, I just can't remember what the name is. So, come you experts, please put me out of my misery.........here it is





Thanks for looking...............Karen

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'm no flower expert, but it looks like lobelia to me...

[valmarg]

I think its Laurentia. It comes in blue, pink and white.

valmarg

[Nicos]

No idea- but doesn't look like my lobelia- it seems to have the trumpet bits like nicotina.....

[yoanbob]

id say lobelia, but what do i know?

[nick the grief]

It's hard to say from that foto as there is nothing to scale it against . Also sight of the leaves would help but it could be either Laurentia or Lobelia

[Earthbabe]

It doesn't look like my lobelias but other than that I can't help. I do agree that it is very pretty and I'll be glad to find out what it is so I can have some next year. Just Miss EB's thing.

[beginners-luck]

Thanks Grapeviners for looking, I have found the answer to my question, would you believe it from a dog forum that I go on!!

It is Isotoma axillaris. The leaves are clear in the first photo, although I will never win any awards for photography!

I think it is also called Laurentia - you were right Nick!

[valmarg]

Well, beginner, I was right before nick, if you look at the previous postings!!!

valmarg

[valmarg]

PS, its rates along with bidens as a total, complete and utter thug if you plant it in your hanging baskets/containers. Pretty enough, but extremely invasive, aka thug!!

valmarg

[beginners-luck]

Well, beginner, I was right before nick, if you look at the previous postings!!!

valmarg

Sorry valmarg, I can only apologise!

PS, its rates along with bidens as a total, complete and utter thug if you plant it in your hanging baskets/containers. Pretty enough, but extremely invasive, aka thug!!

valmarg

At the moment it is looking good, it is planted in a really big basket but I will certainly bear in mind what you have said. I only have it in one basket which is well away from all of my others. Does it self seed? It is well away from all of my other baskets so shouldn't spread too much. Thanks valmarg for warning me.

[valmarg]

Ooops, beginner, on rereading my posts I did seem to be a bit a bit snottier than I intended. I was intending to be a bit jokier than they turned out.

Laurentia is a half hardy perennial, so you could treat it like fuchsias osteospermums, marguerites, and geraniums and take cuttings in the autumn to overwinter them. In a mixed basket they can overpower weaker plants.

I have only grown them from seed and found them quite difficult to germinate so self seeding is probably unlikely. Having said that, lobelia and impatiens are difficult ro germinate early in the year, but we do get them germinating in the tarmac under the hanging baskets later in the year.

It is a pretty plant.

valmarg