Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

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Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Chris_W »

How many of you have weedlings in the hosta garden? We have quite a few, and some that I've left have really become pretty plants or really big plants in their own right. Heck, every once in a while people will ask what their names are and are shocked that they are just weedlings that came up on their own.

In case you haven't heard the word before, a weedling is a seedling that came up in the garden all on its own, self sown like any other weed might, but you keep it around for one reason or another. Sometimes you just don't have the heart to get rid of them, or maybe you just didn't notice it until it was so big then you really couldn't imagine just throwing it away :D

I have weedlings that I've kept because:

- They've grown really fast
- They've grown really big
- They've been yellow
- They've had really pretty flowers
- They've had really shiny or otherwise different leaves
- They've had dark red or purple or black scapes
- They've been streaky

Do you have weedlings in the garden too? I'll try to get some pictures of a few of mine later.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Linda P »

Oh, yes. Yes, I do. I moved about 30 of them from the path under the apple tree this spring.
Some of them are going to get culled, but there are a few keepers in there.
I have a few that are getting big, and I, too, have had people ask what the name is. I have several
requests for a division from some of them.
I have pics of some of them on my other computer..I'll try to remember to go look and post some later.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Eleven »

Do they count as weedlings when I know they're baby columbines? I have dozens of them in my main hosta bed and don't have the heart to weed them once they get a certain size. On the bright side, I've pulled a few to transplant into a new flower bed :) Yay for free plants!

Almost forgot, I did have a purple Actae come up in the middle of my Actaea racemosa this spring. I've never grown them, so must have come by way of bird.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by morgansrgr8 »

I have been letting all my weedlings grow this year. One is even varigated. Its doing pretty good so far. I think Linda Sue is mommy but at this stage (5)leaves, it doesnt look to have the same substance. But time will tell. Others I will let grow for a couple years to see what color and size they might be. I even move some of the more interesting shaped or colored babies to a spot I can keep a good eye on them and not confuse them with my new purchases.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by ViolaAnn »

weedlings - they are still HOSTAS!
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by plantbug »

Oh yes, free hosta. I have a couple that are nice big plants now, and several weedlings from last year.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Linda P »

This one grew right where it's still situated;  Love Pat could be the momma.
This one grew right where it's still situated; Love Pat could be the momma.

The blue one down in front popped up near the gravel path by the porch, right under Hadspen Blue.
The blue one down in front popped up near the gravel path by the porch, right under Hadspen Blue.
Here's an interesting crinkled one that has excellent flowers.  It's quite a bit larger this year.   Marvelous Marlys named this one several years ago when it was just a tiny little thing.
Here's an interesting crinkled one that has excellent flowers. It's quite a bit larger this year. Marvelous Marlys named this one several years ago when it was just a tiny little thing.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Linda P »

A few more of my favorite volunteers. I have at least another 30 or so in various parts of the garden.

This big green thing and the crinkled one behind it are both volunteers that I put in the stump.  I wanted hostas growing in it, but was afraid that they would not do well.  I didn't need to worry about them.
This big green thing and the crinkled one behind it are both volunteers that I put in the stump. I wanted hostas growing in it, but was afraid that they would not do well. I didn't need to worry about them.
I noticed this nice steel-blue corrugated seedling last year; meant to move it but it's still in the same spot.   This was across the sidewalk from Skylight, and I'm thinking that must have been involved in the parentage of this one.
I noticed this nice steel-blue corrugated seedling last year; meant to move it but it's still in the same spot. This was across the sidewalk from Skylight, and I'm thinking that must have been involved in the parentage of this one.
Last but not least, one of my favorite volunteers.  This one glows, doesn't seem to melt out (even this year in the extreme heat and drought) and is quite photo-sensitive.   The leaves that don't get any sun are green, and the ones in sun are brighter.   I named it Heavenly Sunshine some time ago.  THis pic is from 2010...did not get one of it last year, and the one I took this year was with my new camera, and not yet resized.
Last but not least, one of my favorite volunteers. This one glows, doesn't seem to melt out (even this year in the extreme heat and drought) and is quite photo-sensitive. The leaves that don't get any sun are green, and the ones in sun are brighter. I named it Heavenly Sunshine some time ago. THis pic is from 2010...did not get one of it last year, and the one I took this year was with my new camera, and not yet resized.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Chris_W »

Linda those are all amazing :) I can see why you kept these.

That green, frilly one that you kept looks a lot like one of the volunteers here, too, and I have no idea of the parentage :wow: It is one I was going to get a picture of, so now I really have to get one to compare them :D
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by ViolaAnn »

Really a weedling is different from an OP seedling only in that you don't know the mom. I have a couple of little ones that I've kept, but since I've collected most of my seed or cut the scapes after flowering, the best ones I have are seedlings. I've not gotten around to trying to make deliberate crosses myself.

Can we make a thread over here of seedlings we've kept or should that be on the Hosta Hybridizing and Seed Growing Forum?
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Chris_W »

ViolaAnn wrote:Can we make a thread over here of seedlings we've kept or should that be on the Hosta Hybridizing and Seed Growing Forum?
you can post anything hosta related you want here. I had some requests several years ago for a separate hybridizing/seed growing forum but it didn't really take off that much. I'm leaving it up in case people have very specific seedling/hybridizing questions or might want to search there for answers to questions easier.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by redcrx »

I have hundreds and never bothered to take them out until they started to block my sprinkler this season. Not much in variation - 90% big green blobs (from Elegans or Frances Williams), 5% big yellow blobs that are shaped like the green one, 3% small thin long leaves, 2% interesting.
Only had 1 plant that ever flowered and that was last season - early white.
The interesting ones - small with ruffled edges, small shiny leaves, and one nice yellow that I think is from Designer Genes.
might be Designer Genes seedling
might be Designer Genes seedling
might be Designer Genes seedling
might be Designer Genes seedling
Forgot about this group. They just showed up this season but I had been looking for them.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by boops »

I thought they were called seedlings. I think I have a few as I don't remember planting them. I move them to an out of the way place to grow. I expect I'll have a few next year with all the new Hosta I've planted.
However I get alot more "weedlings" from my full sun plants like Phlox Paniculata and Yarrow. The phlox I plant, the Yarrow not so much.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by redcrx »

I went through my pictures this season and pulled these out.
large group with Dream Weaver, My Marianne, and Blue Diamond across the bottom
large group with Dream Weaver, My Marianne, and Blue Diamond across the bottom
another large group
another large group
close up
close up
some "odd" coloration
some "odd" coloration
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by redcrx »

A few more with thin leaves:
seedling LF 12 0482.JPG
shiny leaf
shiny leaf
seedling thin leaf 12 01679z27.jpg
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Linda P »

Ann, you are correct! I use the term weedlings for mine to differentiate between the ones I grew on purpose and the ones that Mother Nature
decided provided on her own. :D I have many more of the weedlings, just don't have good pictures of them. Chris, I have no clue what the
parentage is on that frilly one either. There's nothing nearby that would account for it, and it may drive me crazy trying to figure it out. :lol:
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by ViolaAnn »

For the weedlings, I usually forget to take pictures of them. I do have more, but I've got pics of these three.
Weedling #1 - found next to my 'Undulata Albomarginata'- sure looks like its mama a bit. I think it got stomped on. We'll see if it's still there next year.
Weedling #1 - found next to my 'Undulata Albomarginata'- sure looks like its mama a bit. I think it got stomped on. We'll see if it's still there next year.
Seedling-unknown1-120703s.jpg (52.69 KiB) Viewed 26314 times
Weedling #2 - no idea where it came from. I do, sometimes, move them into a nursery bed to watch.
Weedling #2 - no idea where it came from. I do, sometimes, move them into a nursery bed to watch.
Seedling-unknown2-120703s.jpg (51.26 KiB) Viewed 26314 times
Weedling #3 I found where I had overwintered some hostas once. Don't recall what.
Weedling #3 I found where I had overwintered some hostas once. Don't recall what.
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by kHT »

You mean this is okay? Sorry no weedling here but I might try that route this year? :lol:
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by plantbug »

A couple of my weedlings.
Three years.
Three years.
6305.jpg (87.12 KiB) Viewed 26307 times
At least five years old.
At least five years old.
6302.jpg (85.02 KiB) Viewed 26307 times
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Re: Weedlings in the garden - are you saving some?

Post by Chris_W »

For me to call it a "weedling" vs. an open pollinated "seedling" is simply that the weedling is an OP seedling that came up all on its own without any intervention whatsoever. Others call them volunteers, and yes, they are all still seedlings :)

Here are a few of mine, but I have a lot more that I just don't have pictures of:

This one is just a big green one that won't stop growing. It is behind an 8 year old clump of Dick Ward.
big-green-weedling.jpg
This one is sort of an elongated leaf, shiny green with some bumps but not really all that corrugated. I have no idea who this might be related to...
elongated-bumply-weedling.jpg
This one definitely has some Korean Snow in its background:
KSweedling.jpg
This one has some really dark green, wavy leaves that are low to the ground but the flowers are out of proportion (though pretty):
dark-green-wavy-weedling.jpg
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