what's this little beauty's name?

rooftop · #1 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 06:27 PM

Evening Wabbers,
This pretty little specimen has attached itself to my garden......just wondering what it is if anyone can help?

aeshna5 · #2 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 07:16 PM

Has this cropped up near a bird feeder? Looks like Niger, Guizotia abyssinica to me.

Dorts · #3 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 07:30 PM

Dificult to be sure from just the flower as there are so many similar to this.
Coreopsis is a possibility, as is Guizotia, but it could also be a Heliopsis or even a Dahlia.
But of them all I would go for aeshna5's Niger, (Guizotia abyssinica), popular in bird-seed mixes.
Dorts.

rooftop · #4 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 07:58 PM

Many Thanks Aeshna5 and Dorts, well yes you're spot on, its growing about 5 feet away from a birdfeeder.
Is there a general view on plants that spring from bird seed, given that its probably down to luck rather than judgement what 'springs' from the seeds that fall on the ground?

aeshna5 · #5 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 08:01 PM

I'm not sure what you mean about a general view on these bird seed plants- but if you like them, leave them- they are in a garden + not in the wild.

It can be fascinating what crops up from bird seed.

rooftop · #6 (**permalink**) 27-07-2011, 08:24 PM

I'm going to leave them alone and see what they do.
I'm quite proud of 2 very large calabresse or brocolli type plants that are still in full bloom at the moment, that have undoubtedly sprung from a bag of bird seed to.
They attract a lot of attention from the local butterfly population whilst being allowed to run to seed at almost 6 feet in height: that's taller than my Mum who can't believe how stunning they are when not chopped down to eat!