Yvette's Inner Geek Blog

a pretty weed in the yard

Originally uploaded by innergeek

This week has been all about nature, so why stop now? I now know the name(s) of the artichoke-like plant that’s growing near my maple tree, so here’s another front yard mystery plant identification challenge:

It’s a low-lying and semi-sprawling plant with fern-like leaves that flowers little 5-petal light purple blossoms in the spring. I live in a mountain/desert climate (Utah Valley) at about 4500 feet above sea level.

The previous homeowners planted tulips in the narrow section of yard that’s sandwiched by the road and the sidewalk, and these are also growing there. I honestly don’t know if these purple ferny plants are weeds or were planted on purpose. There are real weeds poking up throughout that whole patch of lawn. I’d really like to transplant the tulips and either xeriscape/rockscape that area or just maintain plain grass—which in theory will be easier to take care of than the current Cluster of Random Plant Growth.

(Ben and I have tried to make our thumbs more green, but they only turn into a sickly, yellowish color on the best of days.)

There’s an artichoke in my front yard

Originally uploaded by innergeek

Can anyone help me identify the name of this perennial plant? It pokes itself out of the mulch at the base of our maple tree every spring.

It looks a little like an artichoke, but I’m pretty sure it’s not actually an artichoke. Though it kind of makes me want to tear off the leaves and dip them in garlic butter sauce. Just in case.

EDIT: Sweet succulents, Batman! Michelle pointed me right to the answer: Sempervivum tectorum, more commonly called a “houseleek” or “hens and chicks.” The latter nickname stems* from the fact that these little artichokes pop up from the ground, grow to a few inches in diameter, and then grow shoots that develop their own little artichokes. Apparently if you cut off the “chick” from the mother “hen” and just set it on soil, it will root pretty easily. Each rosette can flower once, but then it will die. I hope that ours don’t flower until we have a couple more offshoots. Eventually, I think they could replace the grass in the front yard.

* Bwahaha! I’m so punny!