I went out the gate to dump some freshly fallen tree branches in the pile and lo and behold.... What do you think it could be? I was so surprised because I have never seen anything like it growing in the wild , or in my ditch. I can only assume that last year's hurricane must have brought the seed here.
I thought it was a Pheasant's Eye flower at first but it's not quite right for that Looks a bit Caryophyllaceae like
It does have foliage that resembles Pinks, but the petals are all separate. Did you notice how one flower has only three petals and the others have 5? Weird, ain't it .
I just had another look and then looked up to see if there was a red flowered Linseed, and there is https://www.edenbrothers.com/products/scarlet_flax_seeds
That might just be it. @Zigs, eventhough the petals are separated on mine, they look very, very similar otherwise !! This is blooming in spring although the flax is mid season, maybe the weather here is warm enough for it to bloom earlier .
Dianthus deltoides flashing lights. Linum grandiflorum rubrum (flax) They are certainly similar. I have grown both of these, and Annie's one looks a bit more like the flax I think. It's the way the new buds droop down that's flax like, and the gorgeous little Dianthus has frilly edges with more upright buds. Actually I planted a few of those out on the beds last year, and I hope they came through the winter ok. They seed well usually, and smell so sweet. I think I might have to add to the Dianthus collection this year (uh oh, there goes more housekeeping money
I agree, it resembles the flax more and, because my "shade garden" , with the demise of the two trees that fell in last year"s hurricane, is no longer as shady as it had been and since this plant was in the ditch in the shade of my cedar tree, I'm going to plant it in the shade garden with my three nicotiana plants. I hope it does self seed well. I would like more of it !!
https://thegardeningworld.com/products/500-scarlet-flax-flower-seeds-linum-grandiflorum-rubrum @Anniekay you should be able to get seed from the above link I think.
I will get more from there !! It's funny that they say that they don't do well when transplanted. I dug a shovel spit wide and deep around it when I dug it out of the ditch. Most of that soil fell off so all i had was the roots and what soil was clinging to it in my hand. I put it in a pot with that same ditch soil and it never even wilted. It's still looking good in that pot right now.
Flower resembles a Madagascar Periwinkle, but the leaves are completely different. So it's not that. Let me see what my plant ID app in the phone has to say about it. Linum Grandiflorum Dasf.
Just a few years ago there were fields of blue flax (linum) growing around the village where we live. Beautiful fields that looked like moving water when the breeze blew. Evidently we have just the right climate for it.
