This delightful looking woodland plant was a pleasant surprise for us recently. I do not remember buying or being given it, so sadly I'm not 100% sure where it came from.
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| Scopolia carniolica However it returned near to the middle patio area with the spring-like weather and rewarded us with the most exquisite maroon flowers. As we did not remember buying it we also were unsure of the name, however a request for an ID on our Facebook page gave us the answer pretty quickly (thanks Andrew, Don and others for confirming the name).
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It is a member of the Solanaceae family, and is reportedly poisonous, as it contains fairly high quantities of tropane alkaloids (also found in deadly nightshade), with the highest concentration found within the roots. Personally I tend not to worry too much about poisonous plants, many plants are poisonous, and as long as you are sensible and aware then you shouldn't have any problems. If we all only garden with plants listed as safe the world would be a very boring place. It can also be hallucinogenic properties and it was regarded as magical in medieval Europe with an association with witchcraft.
On Facebook it was mentioned that there is a yellow flowering form (var. brevifolia), so that is something I will have to look out for, although I love the colour of these flowers.
Gaz
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
So funny...and such a nice surprise! I agree...the maroon flowers are really nice...very moody :-)
ReplyDeleteWas great to see it turn up, I kept looking at it as it grew trying to remember what it was!
DeleteInteresting plant. Funny how we can forget about things in our yards. Pretty foliage plant and the blooms an added bonus.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
The blooms are lovely, I really don't remember selecting it but I must have been attracted to the blooms last year!
DeleteWhat a pretty plant. About poisonous plants - for years, my husband would not let me have daylilies because they are poisonous to cats. Finally, I just started sneaking them into the garden. The cats know not to be chewing on poisonous leaves (I think).
ReplyDeleteWe have day lilies and our cats ignore them. Although they do sometimes munch on other plants. - Palms in the house are always a favourite much to our irritation!
DeleteI seem always to be especially attracted to poisonous plants, and this one is no exception. I don't think any of them are particularly tasty, so why worry?
ReplyDeleteI think you would need to eat a lot of this for it to be seriously poisonous. Our cats have no interest in it so for us its safe enough.
DeleteHi Mark and Gaz, it's always lovely to "rediscover" a plant that you forgot about, thought you'd lost or simply misplaced. I had one of those moments where I just couldn't figure out what several thick, fleshy green stubs were, rising a few inches out of the soil - turns out they were the Zantedeschia I'd planted the year before. I was almost going to dig them out, thinking they were some self-seeded weed!
ReplyDeleteIndeed Sunil! Glad the Zantedeschia came back for you, it's a fab plant :)
DeleteWhat a lovely little plant to come across - wonder how it got there! Let us know when you start arguing over which of you was clever enough to plant it there ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to claim responsibility as its a stunner. Although it is in a part of the garden I tend to look after so it actually probably was me. Must try harder to remember what I plant.
DeleteThey kind of remind me of a chunky flowered Iochroma
ReplyDeleteI can see what you mean :)
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