Mystery plant— need help identifying!

Discussion in 'Welcome to GardenStew' started by Lindsey Alexander, Jan 11, 2019.

  1. Lindsey Alexander

    Lindsey Alexander New Seed

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    114949D1-3DD7-4E95-8481-7ED49A99FF87.jpeg 285C7970-BB2F-4F0F-9348-06627E4BD88A.jpeg Hi all,

    Against all odds, this little guy flew through our 17th floor apt window and sprouted in our parsley planter. We have no idea what it is! Can any master gardeners out there offer insight? It has fern-like leaves and off-white trumpet-shaped flowers that don’t seem to open fully.

    Many thanks!

    Lindsey

    Edit: We are in Boston and live next to a botanical garden.
     
  2. Gail-Steman

    Gail-Steman Young Pine

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    Hi @Lindsey Alexander welcome to GS and lovely to have you with us...i'm not very good on ID but we have many members who are..who will answer you when on line...I look forward to getting to know you and seeing you posting :)
     
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  3. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Looks like a Water Sensitive Plant (Neptunia oleracea) that you have there Lindsey whose leaves curl when touched.
    Welcome to our forums and I look forward to getting to know you. :)
     
  4. Jerry Sullivan

    Jerry Sullivan Garden Experimenter Plants Contributor

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    Hi Lindsey, Welcome to Gardenstew from Chelmsford.

    I agree with Eileen. The sensitive plants I've seen have lilac colored flowers.

    Unrelated question: Do mosquitoes fly 17 floors up? I heard they do have a limited ceiling, 17 floors up sounds a bit high.

    Jerry
     



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  5. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    What do the flowers look like?
     
  6. Lindsey Alexander

    Lindsey Alexander New Seed

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    027C4744-F661-4DBB-9C42-F7BBE8C55B43.jpeg 42EE41A6-28BD-4CDF-AF2E-1954C21A43FF.jpeg Thanks for the replies! I haven’t noticed any mosquitos up here, @Jerry Sullivan, so it may be true that there’s a ceiling to how high they fly!

    One question about the sensitive water plant: we tried touching the leaves to see if they curl, but they don’t. I’m wondering whether the plant may be something that looks similar to this species? I’ve included here a pic of the “flowers”— on closer look, maybe pods?— I mentioned in the last post. The plant is four or five months old.

    Thanks again to all who replied!
     
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  7. waretrop

    waretrop Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    If the flowers turn out to be yellow it may be Senna didymobotrya, popcorn plant..The flowers are supposed to smell like buttered popcorn but I haven't found that to be...
     
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  8. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    I have no clue ! You may have to take it to the botanical garden and see if they know ! Kind of looks like one of the weeds we have here in Texas !
     
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  9. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Take the plant to the botanical you live near and ask them to ID it for you, they know what they are growing and can give you all the plant care info you need.
     
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  10. Canadian Lori

    Canadian Lori New Seed

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    It looks like a Persian Tree Fern. They curl up at night and if it's in high humidity because it thinks its going to rain.
     
  11. Kminster

    Kminster New Seed

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    Nothing like Albizia ( persian tree fern ), they have pink fluffy looking flowers like Mimosa ( sensitive plant ).

    This is member of the Legume family as it has yellow pea-like flowers.
     
  12. Canadian Lori

    Canadian Lori New Seed

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    Oh, I didn't realize it actually had flowers, yellow ones at that! I was looking at the leaves... My oops. :oops:
     
  13. Cayuga Morning

    Cayuga Morning Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    I agree with kminster....look like a pea relative (legume family)
     
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  14. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    My first thought was sensitive plant as well, but it does look like some kind of legume. I wonder if it's a peanut plant?
    17 floors up is a little high for a squirrel to be hiding nuts in your planter though!
     
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