Re: mystery plant

Auralie,
Sorry you haven't gotten many relplies on this, but it's hard without a pic.
Even with one I'm not sure I could help but would if I could.  Just wanted
to let you know your qstn wasn't being gnored.
Kitty

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Aplfgcnys@aol.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 5:06 PM
Subject: [CHAT] mystery plant


>    Since the weather is not at all inviting outside - 51 degrees and
> drizzling very slightly - and since the bugs are swarming and a neighbor
is having a
> tree cut down and chipped, I decided  that rather than go out and garden I
> would indulge my curiosity and try to identify a plant that grows in my
garden.
> (This is really old age speaking - in past years I would have considered
this
> ideal gardening weather.)
>
>    I can't remember where this plant came from - it may have been here
when
> we moved here in 1970.  It is not invasive, but a small patch persists.
It is
> not particulary noticeable most of the year, and even when it is in bloom,
it
> is pretty shy and unassuming.  But I have never felt I should rip it out,
and
> when our  club began to specialize in miniature plants, I began to pay it
more
> attention.   Now I have spent a couple of hours to no avail - surely some
of
> you brilliant plant people can help me.
>
>     This plant is small. The bloom spikes are no more than 6" high at
most.
> The leaves on the stem are 1-1.5", alternate, ovate, entire, slightly
clasping
> the stem.  Both leaves and stem are hairy.  Aside from the bloom stalks,
the
> other leaves seem to grow from the rootstock.  The half-inch flowers are
in
> cymes, tubular, with a projecting pistil.  Imagine a tiny Mertensia, but
creamy
> white with just a tiny tip of rusty red on the unopened buds.  They are
not
> really notable until you look at them closely.  That is true of so many of
the
> miniatures - when you look closely you see the exquisite beauty of them.
>
>   Hortus lists only one dwarf Mertensia - M.  primuloides, which it says
is
> deep blue, varying to white and yellow.  I have searched the web for
pictures
> of this plant, and it is always said to be deep blue.  Guess what, I found
an
> article by that noted garden writer, Marge Talt, listing it as an
alternative
> plant to Virginia bluebells, but again described as deep blue.I don't know
> whether to assume that this is a M. primuloides variant, or some other
totally
> unrelated creature.   Any ideas?
>
> Auralie
>
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