# What are these flowers growing in my yard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343 "2007-04-01T23:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Danja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@Danja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danja)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/1 "2007-04-01T23:21:44Z")
Sorry, I realize that the camera isn’t the best, but could anyone tell me what these flowers are? I couldn’t find them on google image or on [eNature.com](http://eNature.com). [![](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/flower1.jpg) ](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/flower1.jpg) [![](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/flowerw.jpg) ](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/flowerw.jpg) [![](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/floer2.jpg) ](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/floer2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Danja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@Danja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danja)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/2 "2007-04-01T23:29:41Z")
Sorry, it appears that my photobucket skills aren’t up to par. Here is what I intended to be the second picture: [![](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/floer22.jpg) ](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/floer22.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/3 "2007-04-01T23:30:17Z")
Yeah those are really hard to see. The only place where I think I see a flower is in the 3rd pic and it could possible be a [cornflower](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=cornflower&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi). ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/4 "2007-04-01T23:38:37Z")
[QUOTE=Danja] Sorry, it appears that my photobucket skills aren’t up to par. Here is what I intended to be the second picture: [![](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/floer22.jpg) ](https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/Danja91/floer22.jpg) [/QUOTE] That’s what used to be the 3rd pic in your OP but now that link does work. It’s like a shell game! ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/5 "2007-04-02T00:07:48Z")
I would suggest the best way to identify them is to ask a neighbor who has a nice flower garden or take a sample to a nearby garden center. You don’t list a location and the photos aren’t very good. Best ask a local expert. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/6 "2007-04-02T00:10:49Z")
chive, maybe? [chive bloom](http://www.quietcity.org/img/pix/chive.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Danja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@Danja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danja)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/7 "2007-04-02T00:32:18Z")
I’m actually thinking the second one could be Baby’s Breath. Sorry, the location is central Indiana. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/8 "2007-04-02T04:04:49Z")
[QUOTE=IvoryTowerDenizen] chive, maybe? [chive bloom](http://www.quietcity.org/img/pix/chive.jpg) [/QUOTE] Have you ever actually seen chives growing? They look nothing whatsoever like the plants in question. I’ve seen weeds that look similar, though. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/9 "2007-04-02T05:48:12Z")
Can you take a picture _in situ_? Looking at it flattened, from below, it’s impossible to tell. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/10 "2007-04-02T11:33:04Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Have you ever actually seen chives growing? They look nothing whatsoever like the plants in question. I’ve seen weeds that look similar, though. [/QUOTE] Uh, yeah I have… The photos were difficult to make out and I made a best guess. Apparently, not a good guess. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/11 "2007-04-02T14:20:51Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Have you ever actually seen chives growing? They look nothing whatsoever like the plants in question. I’ve seen weeds that look similar, though. [/QUOTE] I’ve grown chives for 5 or 6 years now, and those blossoms look very much like what mine send up. The one in clear focus is fully open, and the others are what you’d see for a week or two before opening, just a bright purple ball. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/12 "2007-04-02T14:31:10Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] I’ve grown chives for 5 or 6 years now, and those blossoms look very much like what mine send up. The one in clear focus is fully open, and the others are what you’d see for a week or two before opening, just a bright purple ball. [/QUOTE] Thank you for confirming- I thought it was reasonable guess. It still could be wrong, but I didn’t think it was that way off based on the photo in her second message! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/13 "2007-04-02T14:37:25Z")
It’s really hard to tell what those plants are without a better picture - I’m assuming these pictures were snapped using a webcam - if you have a scanner, you might get a better image by putting the specimen on the scanner glass and scanning it. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/14 "2007-04-02T21:40:54Z")
Are the stems on flower one square? My guess Gill-o’er-the-ground or [Alehoof, Creeping Charlie (or Charley), Catsfoot, Field Balm, Run-away-robin, Ground Ivy, Gill-over-the-ground, and Tunhoof](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_ivy)! More pics please! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/15 "2007-04-02T21:44:10Z")
I second the Creeping Charlie diagnosis. It grows all over my lawn. Lawn Dude said it’s nearly impossible to get rid of. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/16 "2007-04-03T01:30:42Z")
It’s easier to identify the plant befor it’s picked. Wilting makes it harder and the conditions where it grows and what else grows there helps comfirm what you have. You can tell the soil and water conditions of a place by the trees and plants in the area. It helps if you can say it has 5 or 6 petals per flower also, and if the leaves ar in pairs at the stem or alternating one on the left then the right then the left. Chives have a light purple cluster flower head, and the leaves are hollow spears that smell much like an onion. It’s the right time of the year for chives, so if the one plant smells like onion when a leaf is pick, that’s what it is. The first picture is too tall for creeping charlie. It’s so wilted and out of focus, But it could be a type of violet. Is the flower all purple, or does the bottom part have some yellow on it? I see what could be yellow but I’m not sure. This is a long shot. Is that long narrow stringy thing something you’re trying to identify? I’ll be back to help if you have more pictures or information. ---
**Author:** ![Danja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@Danja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danja)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/17 "2007-04-03T02:03:46Z")
Thank you for your help! The first one turned out to be a Bleeding Heart. The second one I believe to be a chive, but it was mowed down so unfortunately the picture is unavailable. Thanks for the info! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-flowers-growing-in-my-yard/398343/18 "2007-04-03T02:12:02Z")
The chive is definately going to keep growing, it won’t flower again this year. You can dig it out and move it. I plant chives in areas that have water problems, and they can handle a lot of abuse. People have asked me what the purple flowers were and the large patch of orange flowers the year I planted california poppies in the back yard. People saw it from the highway.