I seem to have accidentally found a very small plant, with extremely tiny white flowers... Seems to be growing in a crack of the pavement. I've now put a few bricks around it, so that it doesn't get trampled accidentally. I think I've found the perfect plant for a small terrarium! But how to dig it out from the pavement? And what kind of special care will it require? Also, what is this plant??? This picture below (with the keys) is to give everyone an idea about how small this plant really is. And these below are an extreme close up of the tiny flowers... If the plant is so small, and flowers this tiny - Then will the seeds be microscopic???
It looks like a nice plant but how are you going to get it out without damaging the roots? Yes the seeds will be very tiny.
Well, unless someone comes up with a better idea - I now am limited to having just 2 options. So here is a roadmap of how I plan on using both... First I'll try to collect all the seeds. I'll attempt this, by carefully collecting all the dried up flowers still attached to the plant. Fortunately I do have a very powerful microscope at home. Which can go down to about 1000x to 1200x magnification, (but with the oil emersion lens). However for this I think even 400 to 600x lens will be fine. So well within my capabilities, without having to do anything special... At least I wouldn't be jumping into this blind. If the seeds germinate successfully. Then I will make a small chizzle, (around the same size as a big screwdriver). And attempt to very carefully start breaking up the concrete around this plant - Since the plant is so tiny, I just need to remove the entire chunk of concrete, in which this is growing, (the size of a tennis ball perhaps). Hopefully without causing any damage to the roots. Just remove the entire section of the floor, and take it to safety as a whole - Without harming the roots. If the seeds don't germinate, then I plan on making some type of a safety structure around this plant. So it can live happily where it is growing, (without any risk of getting trampled accidentally). This anyhow is the plan. But will I be able to do it successfully or not, remains to be seen. However, before I do anything. First priority is to correctly identify what this plant is? Maybe get a clue about what type of growing conditions do the seeds require? And at what time of the year? Because right now, I don't even know if this is a annual, biannual, or perennial plant? Google doesn't seem to be of any help. Or maybe I am not using the correct keywords in the search... Never in my entire life, have I ever seen or heard of such a plant before. Therefore I am right now completely clueless.
That's actually not a bad idea at all, (when rooting hormone will also be applied to the cutting). But the plant is already so tiny, I'm not quite sure how much I should take from it as a cutting...
It could be too small but you'll need about 3 inches for a cutting, you might be able to root it in water. Take the flowers off when you've cut it.
I am still puzzled by this.. how various plants grow through a gap in concrete and yet will not grow when you pamper them.....treat them mean, keep them keen..a well known saying, not necessarily directed at plants though...
try the app plantsnap. you may have better luck identifying it that way. the flowers remind me of blueberry or heather flowers. the plant... no idea.
The pavers around it look like they can be removed without a lot of problems ! Thats what I would do ! Wouldn`t put too much faith in seed,, may be a root divider ! But hey !! try both !
Except for one picture (with the cars keys as size reference) - All other pictures are taken with an extra close-up lens attached on the phone. Otherwise, the entire plant isn't even 1.75 inches in size - So how can I get a cutting of 3 inches from it? Our jokes aside, it's really so tiny, that I am actually afraid of even touching it... I'll dig out the microscope either today or tomorrow - Then take a better look at it. As well as share the pictures with everyone here. Right now I don't even know how fast or slowly it grows. So if I take any part of the plant away for experimentation - I have no idea when the plant will recover from it... So I don't want to give it too much stress - Plants are living things also. So why be unkind to them? Which is why I am going to try everything possible with the seeds first. But here too, I first need to correctly identify what this plant is. Otherwise I'm just tapping in the dark. I shall take that under advisement. Yes I am already applying this on someone in real life. Excellent idea! Thank you! I don't know Mart, my guess is that the seed must have somehow ended up inside the crack in the concrete pavement. Because no root could have sprouted in there spontaneously. But of course, in order to plan anything - We first need to correctly identify what this plant is? I seriously doubt if I am the first and only one in the world who stumbled upon it... I have seen tiny plants before, mostly weeds. But they don't have flowers this small - To give a size reference of the flowers. A sewing needle's head to this flower, would like a baseball bat is to an average size rose. So that's how tiny everything is.
Part quote S-H.... Plants are living things also. So why be unkind to them? Which is why I am going to try everything possible with the seeds first.quoted I appreciate that reminder but we have a very pretty mauve flowered weed that is worth keeping for the flowers but it spread like wildfire and the roots go as deep as the centre of the earth... My garden looks good from a distance....green green grass.....it is green with some nice wild flowers, but......close up the ground is covered in various weeds.....fact..... I have to dig them out where possible otherwise it would spoil my precious Sanctuary. took this Photo the other day,nothing wrong with daisy's, just showing how quick things change ... This is the mauve weed I mentioned that has pretty mauve flowers, but grows and spreads everywhere, given the chance..deep rooted as well..approx in the centre of the photo....
Q Weeds today, wish they were gone by tomoro' These various weeds growing around a felled Tree are mainly left alone... Stinging nettles left to grow and then I make a general fertiliser with them. I have been planting things that spread well, creeping jenny here and the lower type of St John's Wort, correct name is Hypericum and it also spreads well in our soil/climate. a few wild geranium weeds in there again...but happy with the growth of the plants now.
S-H, have you thought, or would it be possible to use water to remove the plant. I have found it helpful to use a stream of water to remove plants between pavers. It has worked best for me when the surrounding soil is dry and the area of the plant is flooded with a stream of water into the crack. Your plant is so small am uncertain as to the results. This has worked well for me removing plants with their roots fully intact.
That's actually a very good idea, brilliant in fact! However, first I will like to try propagating it. Afterwards, yes, I will try your suggestion. But before I try anything, I need to identify this plant correctly.
S-H do you have any varieties of heather that grow there? thats what the flower also reminds me of...
