Nice plant in a bad place...

[Lori S.]

I think I know what this is, but does anyone care to guess?  I had a good-sized colony of this some time ago, that seeded around a bit.  I'm not sure if these seedlings got out in this area along the sidewalk on their own (from fine dust-like seeds blowing around) or in the roots of some other plant I moved, but it looks like a flower is imminent on one of them.
If they are what I think they are, how to protect them from the assorted vandals, visigoths and rampaging huns that use the sidewalk daily?  The land mines aren't working...  

[cohan]

I think I know what this is, but does anyone care to guess?  I had a good-sized colony of this some time ago, that seeded around a bit.  I'm not sure if these seedlings got out in this area along the sidewalk on their own (from fine dust-like seeds blowing around) or in the roots of some other plant I moved, but it looks like a flower is imminent on one of them.
If they are what I think they are, how to protect them from the assorted vandals, visigoths and rampaging huns that use the sidewalk daily?  The land mines aren't working...  

Looks Liliaceous or ex...lol... that's as far as I can go... as for protection, probably most good solutions are illegal... I'm surprised you are getting away with the land mines.... lol.. If I had any public fronting on a garden, I'd tend to go all Opuntias and other sorts of spiny things--seabuckthorn hedges, and the like..

[Hoy]

I wouldn't say Liliaceous but something similar to testes

[cohan]

So, Orchis you are suggesting? More needing of protection than lilies...lol

[Lori S.]

Yes, I am thinking it is the last remaining progeny of my old Cypripedium parviflorum colony... (and I'll be pretty embarrassed now if it turns out to be something else, hence my coyness!    Glad to see someone else saw the resemblance!)  Well, they will be pretty small, so maybe they will escape notice. 
... Although, on the other hand, I have thought of the perfect camouflage... I could pin one of the vandals' discarded chip bags over it... 

[McDonough]

Just seeing this thread now, I would've guessed Cypripedium too.  Why not transplant it now while in fresh young growth and plant it some place safe.

[Hoy]

I would do as Mark suggests, move it to a safer place.

[Lis Allison]

Yes, I am thinking it is the last remaining progeny of my old Cypripedium parviflorum colony... (and I'll be pretty embarrassed now if it turns out to be something else, hence my coyness!    Glad to see someone else saw the resemblance!)  Well, they will be pretty small, so maybe they will escape notice. 
... Although, on the other hand, I have thought of the perfect camouflage... I could pin one of the vandals' discarded chip bags over it... 

Ummm, I'll stick my neck out here..... doesn't look quite like Cyp. parviflorum to me. I have seen lots of those and they are never that congested or that thick at ground level. Could it be another Cypripedium?  In any case, if it is an orchid, and it looks like one, I wouldn't move it at this point. I'd wait until it is almost finished blooming and then move it. Many orchids, and I think Cyp.s, grow new roots after flowering. Moving them when dormant is usually not a good idea because some roots are bound to get broken, and then the plant is very susceptible to fungous infection. But I'm no expert.

[Lori S.]

Well, throwing caution to the wind, I moved it... I figure it's better I kill it myself than have some stupid kid do it for me, if it comes down to that.   >  It rained all night, so the soil was nice and moist and it was a good transplant.
The flower is starting to open a little - hard to tell if it's yellow or white right now, but C. parviflorum would make sense, as I did have seedlings pop up in a few places... though I can't remember the last time I noticed one (other than the other day with this one).  If it was some other cyp, it would indeed be a mystery!  There are actually two little plants there, one in bud, one not, which may be what is making the base look thick and congested.  There also is the sidewalk looming ominously about 2 1/2 feet away...


Anyway, all will soon be revealed!  Thank you all very much for the comments.  

[Lis Allison]

Now it looks like Cyp. reginae! I'm really curious now. I hope you'll post a picture once it opens! Nice, whatever it is!

[Peter George]

I'd never given any thought to a thread like this, but wandering around the garden today, it struck me that there are several really nice plants that I've managed to put into the absolutely worst place. The one that is particularly obvious is Sphaeralcea parvifolia, the seed of which I bought from Alplains about 4 or 5 years ago, forgot about for a year, and then planted it out without any real expectation of any germination. I actually did get several, and one managed to make it in the open garden, unfortunately in the wrong location. Since I actually intended to buy and grow Sphaeralcea coccinea, which is a very short and bushy plant with beautiful orange mallow flowers, I put the seedling in a perfect location. Unfortunately I now have a rather tall and ungainly plant of Sphaeralcea parvifolia, which should be sited in a very hot and sunny spot, and pinched back from early spring on to make sure it stays relatively short and bushy. Well, I didn't pinch it back enough, and it's not in a terribly sunny spot, so I have a weedy looking plant with spectacular orange flowers in the wrong place. So what do I do? I'm considering ripping it out, but I absolutely hate to destroy a plant just because I screwed up, so I'm going to try to collect seed, and if I can germinate one or two, I'll try to dig it out in very early spring next year and move it. If it dies, hopefully I'll have a seedling or two to put in the right location, and if it survives, I'll have something really unusual for our seedling sale.

[Lori S.]

Beautiful plant, Peter!  I love the brilliant orange... especially against the electric pink!    Delightful!

My little plant is safely ensconced inside the fence now and seems to be confirming itself to be C. parviflorum (though today's lashing rain is delaying the bloom).

[Hoy]

I would say almost  the same as Lori: Beautiful plants
I have many colour crashes in my garden as I try to put plant in accordance with growing requirements rather than colour.

[Lori S.]

Okay, case closed, I think!

[Hoy]

I would love to find such weeds