Gophers, amethysts, elves & sparrows
Aren’t the common names of plants fun? This Euphorbia rigida is commonly known as gopher plant. I’ve no idea why, but I sure do love the plant’s leaf structure and gray-green color, and now it’s getting ready to bloom too.
Here’s a pretty name for a pretty iris: ‘Amethyst Flame.’ The first ones opened today, and a dozen or so buds promise lots more crepe-papery, jewel-like color.
Another one, but closer.
‘Blue Elf’ aloe’s name conjures images of garden sprites, but it probably refers to this aloe’s blue-green color and small size (and yet, this is the largest aloe I’ve grown, so I don’t know). Its orange-coral blossoms stand tall, enticing early hummingbirds. Don’t elves and hummingbirds always fraternize?
Captain Jack Sparrow? Aye!
And here’s his first mate.
Perhaps there’s something about Leap Year that inspires silliness. Have a great February 29th!
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
What a nice post for this leap year day !
I have iris almost the same colour and they are gorgeous when they bloom. Euphorbia .. I didn’t have a lot of luck with that one, but yours look great !
Love the Captain Jack .. you caught him/her ? perfectly !
Wonderful pictures !
Joy
The first sparrow is a male, I believe ; the second, a female. They were busy checking each other out. —Pam
Pam, so true about common names. A lot of them are religious too. Many plants are named after Mary, the mother of God. Lady’s Mantle, Marigold (Mary’s Gold,)and thrift (our lady’s cushion) are a few I can think of right off. Maybe I’ll do a post on that someday. I think Leap Year does inspire silliness or joie de vivre. Thanks for your wonderful post.~~Dee
That’s a great idea for a post, Dee. I hadn’t realized that so many common names are of a religious nature. —Pam
A little silliness is good on any day, as far as I’m concerned, Pam. I just finished proofreading a website of plant names and got a little giddy myself! Happy Leap Day, indeed. I celebrated by purchasing a nice gerbera daisy and a ‘dish garden’ of a fern, palm and kalanchoe for five bucks…I’m going to divide the plants up and plant them properly, and keep them away from the little catchildren, who think fresh greens are something worth ‘leaping’ after.
Your plant finds sound like a perfect antidote to lingering winter. Enjoy! —Pam
I thought maybe the Irish elves had taken to riding gophers into your garden where they were stealing amethyst jewels from your garden, forgetting that it is leap year. Beautiful jewels by the way.
I enjoy your sense of humor, Lisa. Thanks for appreciating my silly theme today. —Pam
Pam, the Amethyst Flame is spectacular! Love the deep rich color! Hey, the snow is melting, it is in the 40’s, silliness is definitely in order!
Early signs of spring—or melting snow—are bound to inspire giddiness, aren’t they? —Pam
The Blue Elf Aloe is gorgeous … I think it’s the pot though that I really like. The gopher plants must have been named after the little pouches gophers have on their cheeks. Cheeky little things that they are …
Fridays always call for silliness!
I like your theory for the origin of gopher plant’s name. I’ll never look at the euphorbia’s “cheeks” the same way again. —Pam
Captain Jack looks like he’s looking for his next meal.
Or a lady friend. He was definitely on the hunt for something. —Pam
Yes, it is funny to see what common names pop up. It varies by region too. I do better with common names cause sometimes they look like their name. Euphorbia is one of my favs. The bell cupped flowers are long lasting and so interesting.
Common names are more fun, aren’t they? Though I make an effort to learn the scientific names too. —Pam
I wish I could get close enough for such gorgeous photos of birds. As soon as I go outside, my dogs have managed to chase them away. And my storm windows are too dirty to take them from inside. Got any suggestions?
Brenda
A powerful telephoto. Ha, ha, I don’t have one either. Actually, I just get lucky now and then with the bird pics. My camera’s telephoto isn’t powerful enough to allow me to shoot from across the garden or from inside. But for the last couple of days, the birds have been so absorbed with courting and nesting that they’ve let me get pretty close before flying away. —Pam
Happy Leap Day Pam! It almost seems to me I never see the same Euphorbia twice! There are so many cultivars! I have a pretty one but it didn’t come with a tag. So far I haven’t been able to match it with a look alike to even hazard a guess, so it’s a ‘no name’. I’ll look forward to seeing your lovely plant fully blooming.
The purple iris are always gorgeous. What kind of hummers do you get down there?
How obliging of Captain Jack and his first mate to pose so nicely for you 🙂
I don’t know what kind of hummers we have, Kerri. I just know that my summer garden wouldn’t seem complete without them. —Pam
Love the iris. Does it have a good “iris” smell? I hope so. Even if it doesn’t, tell me it does!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Yes, it does! Actually, Carol, I confess to not knowing that irises have a smell, good or otherwise. I’ll take a sniff tomorrow. —Pam
Please be sure to share a picture of your gopher plant when it’s in bloom – I love both its structure and color!
You can be sure I’ll show it, Mary Beth. I’m excited to see it bloom for the first time in my garden. —Pam
interesting gopher plant. I have some euphorbia seeds but I’m very reluctant on planting them. I’m just concerned my dog with get up to them and something bad will happen. I wish I could find one of those balcony railing pot holders. Pretty iris and you have wonderful pots I’m jealous.
Are euphorbia poisonous to dogs? Thanks for the compliments on the iris and pots, and good luck finding the pot holders you’re looking for. —Pam
Love the blue iris, we have trouble keeping them going here, even with faithful dividing. Isn’t the euphorbia sometimes called gopher spurge, or are all the euphorbias called spurges? I thought that meant it deterred gophers, but that’s just a guess. The sap can cause irritate the skin in some people also.
Frances at Faire Garden
The irises are purple in real life. I do have some blue ones that I hope will be up in a couple of weeks. I understand some bearded irises are tougher than others, especially in our hot climate. What makes them hard to grow where you live, Frances? And I don’t know much about the euphorbia/gopher plant, but you’ve proposed an interesting theory. —Pam
Pam,
I love Captain Jack Sparrow…too funny. just a quick visit to say thanks for your kind words.
Gail
Best wishes, Gail. —Pam
Some of my favorite wildflower common names
Cuckoo Flower – Cardamine pratensis
Viper’s Bugloss – Echium vulgare
Turtlehead – Chelone glabra
Dame’s Rocket – Hesperis matronalis
Sneezeweed – Helenium autumnale
Only the Turtlehead seems to have any relation to the common name – the rest leave me wondering how they got theirs.
And one I made up for a blue/purple iris I foraged from an abandoned garden
“Bubblegum”.
It smells just like the Bazooka Joe Bubblegum with the cartoon wrapper.
Viper’s bugloss—that’s a classic. Those are all good ones. —Pam
The irises are beautiful. I planted some last year but they just sat there. this year though they look as if they’re coming on.
Some of mine grow more easily than others. They’re the ones I’m able to share with lots of other gardeners. But I find it hard to get rid of any of them, even if they don’t bloom well. —Pam
My favorite common name is Hoary Puccoon. Just saying it makes me laugh.
That’s almost hairy raccoon. That’s a good one. —Pam
Thanks for the pictures. I have such terrible cabin fever here in Pennsylvania. Can’t wait for thing to get started here. The aconites are showing their heads this week, and that’s a good sign.
You’re welcome, Catherine. Thanks for visiting. —Pam
What a beautiful Iris Pam! I just love to see photos of other gardens. You are very talented with a camera.
Thank you, Randy. I love looking at other people’s gardens too. Well, that’s why we’re reading garden blogs, right? —Pam
HI, Pam, Euphorbia is not just poisonous to dogs. People can get really really sick just touching them. If you must have them always transplant with GLOVES on. I shiver at the sight of them and pull them up whenever I see one in my garden (left over from days gone by). Kathryn
Egad. I also have a pencil tree Euphorbia, and I’ve been careful of that one. But I hadn’t given much thought to the gopher plant. —Pam