unknown to me plant/shrub or flower?bvg

jerseygirl

jerseygirl

Location
balancing on the edge . . . .
Hi all,

I found this in a garden in Atlanta, Georgia.

It is about three foot in height
It is not a tree - might be a flower - I HAVE NO IDEA.

I do know that it has a spike as a thistle does but I do not have a picture of the flower. I will go back in a few weeks and attempt to get the flower head.

here are three picture:
flower spike
total plant
leaf

thanks to all

enjoy your day and the trees you climb

jz
 

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Re: unknown to me plant/shrub or flower? pic 2

here is another - SHOULD these not be enough or any suggestion on how to take more of what views - let me know.

I can get back to that garden and take more - just not until the weekend.

thanks

jz - again - I have no clues here.

korrected spelling errors (HE HE)
 

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Re: unknown to me plant/shrub or flower? pic 2

I would say thistle - i have others that grow wild along the roads and cow pastures here - BUT this had different leaves being varigated and the leaf structure is different - I will get out in a day or two to take the local varities - with checking sites - you may be right

thanks
 
Re: unknown to me plant/shrub or flower? pic 2

Variegated Milk Thistle seems like a good answer, see if the plants bloom purple in a couple of weeks.
 
Re: unknown to me plant/shrub or flower? pic 2

No not a thistle after all, I think it might be a cardoon (Cynara sp.) maybe something like Miss Walcott's ghost or another named variety.
 
Re: unknown to me plant/shrub or flower? pic 2

I asked a Master Gardener friend what she thought about your plant. She said at first it seemed more like a carduus (cardoons, artichokes) than a cirsium (thistles), but the leaves are more lobate, whereas carduus are more elongated and pinnate.
So after looking into it a bit more, she suggested Milk Thistle, Silybum marianum, as had others above. It was previously designated Carduus marianus.
They're rather pretty and are supposed to be very useful (check out the verbage..) hepatoprotective, antihepatotoxic, hepatorestorative, antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, and anticarcinogenic (epithelial malignancies.)
bigeyes.gif
 

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Re: unknown to me plant/shrub or flower? pic 2

There are lots of named varieties of thistles etc in Britian so I do not think the leaf shape is the best clue. This is clearly a variety of something. Also the blossom seems not quite correct for milk thistle. I still lean to cardoon, but would be pleased to see a little plaque below the tree.

All that being said I have virtually no experience with ornamental thistles and cardoon.
 
Re: unknown to me plant/shrub or flower? pic 2

Yah, me either.

I got stuck in the middle of a field of thistle in Ireland when I was a kid. I didn't know what it was and just started running right into the middle of it. Was wearing a hippie Indian skirt, too. Sucked. Maybe I still have issues (Ha! ya think??)

Gotta admit though, the picture I posted of milk thistle looks just like jz's unknown plant.
 
Re: unknown to me plant/shrub or flower? pic 2

That is the leaf

I will be back there in a few weeks and i will try to remember the 1 camera - 2 take a picture 3 post it

as the flower should be up at that time


really people - I have no knowledge about this - I be a kayaker in a tree without a paddle (no jokes there)

so would that help y'all.

thanks for all the suggestions and i am thinking milk thistle - I took the picture as it was quite different then anything i have seen. (small world here)


you are all wonderful

jz
 
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