Feb 17, 2009

Weekly Macro

This week I chose this beautiful flower, which is actually a weed, but a beauty nonetheless. We acquired it from one of our neighbors (who 'd literally pluck plants out of her garden and stuff them into our hands when we - me and my mom, say, "Oooh! That's beautiful!" Yes, that's the cue for her. No matter what we say, she wouldn't listen. Isn't that sweet?).
Bell Weed - Dipteracanthus prostratus
This flower has this unique texture and it's extra special to me as it's Blue! Give me a bloom that's a shade of blue and I'd snatch it from your hands :D.
Goggling around, I learnt is fact from wikipedia: "Believed to be anticancer against the epidermis of the nasopharynx region and slightly hypoglycemic."

16 comments:

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Is it really a weed? I think it's too pretty. I love how the petals have a little crease in them.

Randy Emmitt said...

Looks like something we have here in North Carolina growing wild. Can't recall the name though.

tina said...

Weeds can sure be quite pretty.

Chandramouli S said...

Catherine: Yea, it'd look like little bells peeking up at you and when on ground, it'd spreads around in no time! It's really difficult to get rid of them as their roots are so damned strong. This one I took from my neighbors garden was just a small cutting that's grew up into a bunch in the container.

Randy: Welcome to Plantville :)! Oh. This weed thrives both during summer and winter, so it's such a pest for gardeners, but I adore it - of course my feelings towards it might be different if I had a garden on ground and if this occupied it.

Right said, Tina. Some weeds look too lovely to be a weed :D

Anonymous said...

It's definitely too pretty to be just a weed Chandramouli! Interesting history on this plant, thanks for sharing.

Chandramouli S said...

It's my pleasure, Racquel :) Thank you

MarionL said...

"A weed is but an unloved flower." ~Ella Wheeler Wilcox


She may be a weed, but she's a lovely little weed!

Antigonum Cajan said...

Some time ago I adopted both varieties into my growing collection. The white variety is superior in color intensity to
the light purple one.


The best thing is that both are
self seeding!

Thanks for the botanical name,
I had no way to find it!

Jan said...

Yes, it is beautiful. It doesn't look like a weed!! If it's not invasive, who minds??? (I just saw a note above where you said it has really strong roots. That's how my wild violets are in my backyard. Very pretty, but now I can't get rid of them and they are taking over.) If that's the problem I totally understand why you might want to be careful with where you plant it;)

Chandramouli S said...

Right said Marion. She's not unloved, so she isn't a weed in my garden :)

Antigonum Cajan: Yea, they self seed easily and quickly. It's my pleasure :) Thank you

Funny how plants behave in different lands, isn't it, Jan. Like humans they too seem to have a personality!

Randy said...

Chandramouli,
You and Jamie have a love of blue flowers in common! Blue is his most favorite color for flowers!--Randy

Chandramouli S said...

Oh, good to hear that. I'll be glad to send these seeds over (in fact they're in abundance that I want to give them out to others to enjoy) if customs wouldn't mind. Dang, isn't it a pain? But I guess they've a reason, unfortunately :(

Sherrie said...

Hi!
It's beautiful! Some weeds are beautiful. I love Queen Ann's Lace, but around here they treat it like a weed. Thanks for stopping by my place. Have a great day!!

Sherrie

Chandramouli S said...

They ARE! Thank you, SPlummer. I looked Queen Ann's Lace online and their flowers look tiny and cute in clusters!

Unknown said...

I'm beginning to appreciate weeds a lot more now. I'd love this one in my yard too! It's very pretty. Real nice photo.

Chandramouli S said...

Thank you Kanak. The beauty is giving out quite a number of seed pods which I'd be more than glad to share with you (but don't ever plant it in the ground, unless you want it all over your garden, which is a beautiful sight, of course). Can you send me your address to my email? I'm serious.