Sorry no photo

My mystery plant is like a 4' high miniature foxglove. Pale lilac flowers - same shape as foxglove but much smaller. The leaves are long and narrow. It was given to me as a small plant when I admired it in a friend's garden, presumably grown from seed. The odd thing is that I am sure the original was blue and maybe not quite so high! Saying that, my border has had loads of organic matter bunged in it so all my plants seem to have shot up. I was either given the wrong plant or my soil has had an effect on the colour! I saved loads of the black seeds from the dried 'pods'. Any ideas? Sorry - no photo - didn't think to take one when it was blooming!
Lyn

 

Could it be Penstemon Lyn?

 

Lupins? (the black pods made me think that)

 

You could be right Clueless, I overlooked the seed pod info.

 

Hi folks
No - they aren't Lupins. I am familiar with lupins. Sorry - it's the seeds that are black, and they're not in pods. I also have a Penstemon and their flowers are much larger. These flowers are really just like tiny foxgloves all the way up the stems - even having a bit of speckling. They don't taper to a point like Lupins.
The leaves are long and sword shaped - Lupin leaves are sort of star shaped (!)
I still have the dried heads with the seed casings on them, which are sort of bell shaped and are placed all up the tops of the stems. I have tried to attached a photo of the dried stem but unfortunately it didn't work. I will attempt to make an album and put it in there!
Lyn

 

Have now uploaded pics in My Album -including the mystery plant dried seed head!
Thanks for your patience guys!
Lyn

 

Hi Lyn just looked in your album - A guess I would make is Baptista australis - but not sure - maybe someone else will come up with some ideas.

Well done you on starting an album - it is something I keep promising to master.

 

Looks like Physostegia virginiana.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...1da47960ad7d8f&bpcl=38625945&biw=1271&bih=631

 

Thanks for that S/S! I think you are right. The pics on Google look like my plant. I am wondering if I should cut the now 'headless' bare stems down? Presumably they will shoot again in Spring?
Lyn

 

Certainly looks like Physostegia to me. Also known as the Obedient plant because if you move the flower on the stem it will stay where you leave it. Never seen a lilac one though - on my list to get now.

 

I can send you a few seeds if you wish? No guarantee, of course, but you could give them a try. The colours are listed as white, lavender, purple and pink in my Pocket Gardening Encyclopedia (Silverdale Books.)

Just looked at your pics on Flickr. The orchid is beautiful - some of the others look like Dr Who props!

 

I have seeds for the white one somewhere, so we could swap

This orchid?


Really wish that it was mine - been trying to source one but no luck so far.

 

Yes - the orchid is lovely - at first I thought it was a type of seed head until I looked closer.
I don't have much room in my tiny garden for many more plants but the Phys are so striking it would be good to have some white ones to go with the lilac. If you let me have your address I will forward on some of my seeds.